Pirates seek out Gulf of Guinea weak spots

Claims pirates using insider information prior to hijacks.

Pirates seek out weak spots in the Gulf of Guinea

Written by Africa Defense Forum – ADF

The pirates of the Gulf of Guinea can be an unimpressive-looking group. Although they are hard and muscular, captured pirates often dress like beggars — shoeless and wearing cast-off clothes that seem intended for smaller men. They appear to be the sort of thieves who would steal cellphones and money but little more.

Appearances can be deceiving.

In January 2014, pirates stole a tugboat to use as a mother ship and began a days-long journey to steal the Kerala, a Greek-owned, Liberian-registered oil tanker, off the coast of Angola. Although there were 30 ships in the vicinity, they went straight to the Kerala, which they boarded before disabling its communications and identifications systems. They also painted over its markings, according to a report by the U.S. Naval Institute.

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Source: defenceweb.co.za