Admiralty Lawyer & Attorney

Modern-Day Pirates

While we've all seen movies such as Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy, today's pirates are far from the swashbuckling rogues played by Johnny Depp and Co. Today's pirates are highly armed, dangerous individuals that prey upon people and ships weaker than they.

Piracy today favors cargo ships and fishing vessels but they have also been known to attack cruise ships as targets. Unlike the pirates of yesteryear, these pirates are generally not interested in the cargo a ship may carry. Instead, they commandeer a ship just long enough to take the often large quantities of cash that the ships keep on board to pay port fees and the crew.

These modern pirates do not operate in a single-ship network. They operate in organized gangs that will coordinate multiple boat attacks on a single ship. One boat will sail in front of the target causing the bridge (where the captain sits) to get distracted and try to avoid hitting the boat in front of them. While they slow the ship down to maneuver, two other boats will board the ship, undetected, from the back of the ship.

It is a common misconception that piracy is on the way out. In fact, it's the opposite. From 1993 to 2003, the incidence of pirate attacks tripled when compared to the previous decade. The most dangerous waters are those around Indonesia and Somalia. In 2004, the Indonesian government started cracking down on pirates and the Indonesian navy has made numerous arrests. While things have improved around Indonesia, they have worsened in the waters around Somalia.

If you have been injured or held captive by pirates in waters around the world, contact an admiralty lawyer at Williams Kherkher to schedule your consultation at 1-800-220-9341.