Video: Inside Somalia with the Pirates

The number of successful Somali pirate attacks has halved following the introduction of armed guards and anti-piracy measures. But as Jamal Osman reports, this leads pirates to take greater risks.

It’s something outsiders hardly ever see.

But Channel 4 News bore witness to how Somali pirates prepare: they plan, test their guns, check their boats and then disappear into the vast sea.

Jamal Osman spent nearly a month in Somalia making a film; following their lives and their community.

To the outside world, people like Dahir Lugey are despised outlaws – but he claims to Jamal he’s just a former fisherman – now making a living in the only way he can.

Fishing is now much harder – because illegal fishing boats have been taking advantage of Somalia’s lawlessness – and emptying its waters

“I’d rather risk my life to hunt down those who’ve destroyed my livelihood than sit here. An oil tanker would be ideal,” he says.

“I’m prepared to either capture a ship or die. There’s nothing else for me here”.

But things are getting tougher for the pirates.

Access the Channel 4 News video report: Inside Somalia with the Pirates