Armory Weapons Could Flood Black Market

As HRA shrinks and PMSCs go out of business, what happens to their weapons?

Armory Weapons Could Flood Black Market

The recent decision by the Contact Group for Piracy off the Coast of Somalia to reduce the size of the Indian Ocean High Risk Area could lead to a flood of weapons on to the black market as more private maritime security companies (PMSCs) go bust.

It has been common practice for private maritime security companies to rent from or store weapons on board floating armories operating in international waters, but as security firms close in coming months their weapons could remain unaccounted for.

ESC Global Security Chief Operating Officer Madis Madalik warns: “The geographical reduction to the Indian Ocean HRA from December 1 is good news for shipping, but my main concern is what will happen to the arsenal of very sophisticated weapons that bankrupt PMSCs have stored in floating armories.”

To continue reading, please click here.

Source: maritime-executive.com