In the Gulf of Aden, a pirate ransom becomes the cost of doing business

An armed Somali pirate keeping vigil on the coastline near Hobyo, north-eastern Somalia with the hijacked Greek cargo ship Filitsa anchored just offshore. The vessel was released in February 2010, approximately a month after this photograph was taken. Photograph: Mohamed Dahir/AFP/Getty Images
It is seven o’clock on the morning of 12 November and a merchant ship, carrying general cargo plus a 29-strong crew, is sailing 680 nautical miles east of Salalah, Oman. The ship’s master is suddenly alerted to an approaching vessel, but the warning comes too late. The tanker is hijacked by pirates and the crew is taken hostage.
[Read More]
Source: Maritime Sun News