How diaspora funds Somali pirates

Somali pirates are increasingly sailing further into the Indian Ocean from their bases in Puntland, in northern Somalia, due to the sophisticated equipment they have been able to acquire.  

The largest vessel to have been hijacked in the history of piracy was the Sirius Star, a supertanker carrying two million barrels of oil which was hijacked last year 450 nautical miles (833 kilometres) southeast of Mombasa port, farther south than any previous attack.

“This incident is significant on two counts,” said International Maritime Bureau (IMB) Director Pottengal Mukundan.  

“Firstly, this is the largest vessel to have been hijacked. Secondly, the distance from the shore would suggest a highly organised operation — this is not mere opportunism.”