Pirates still plague the waters off the Somali coast and are now equally active far into the Indian Ocean.
And despite international naval patrols, “the attacks continue, indeed they are increasing,” according to U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. Addressing the General Assembly, Ban cited statistics showing that in 2009 there were 406 attacks on merchant ships, an increase of 100 over the previous year.
The Somali pirate scourge, which has grabbed headlines and resulted in merchant vessel hijackings that lead to captivity and the payment of ransom for so many ships and crews, continues.
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