Somalian Pirates Move British Hostages

Somalian Pirates Move British Hostages to a hijacked Spanish ship that pirates have stocked with more supplies and armed men, but that they, the pirates are calling a pirate prison.

The British couple kidnapped by pirates off Somalia, Paul and Rachel Chandler, who were snatched from their yacht in the Indian Ocean last week. Previously, the kidnapped couple had been held aboard a Singaporean cargo ship hijacked by pirates.

The pirates moved the Chandlers to the Spanish vessel after elders in the Somali town of Haradhere refused a pirate request to allow the Chandlers to come ashore.

October, 29th, 2009. Paul Chandler spoke with CNN’s British affiliate ITN via the phone. He stated that men with guns had boarded the couple’s yacht, demanding money and taking everything of value.

Then later, he spoke with the BBC’s Somalia Service, reportedly stating that, “We are well and being looked after OK. We are being fed and food is okay at the moment.”

The pirates abandoned the Chandlers’ yacht, the 38-foot Lynn Rival, which the British Royal Navy found drifting in international waters Thursday.

Somalian Pirates Move British Hostages, Paul and Rachel Chandlers, who had originally had set off from the Seychelles, on October 21st, 2009, bound for Tanzania, according to their blog. A distress beacon was activated on October 23rd, 2009, according to naval officials.

Pirates have been very active off the east coast of Africa in the past several years, with their stronghold operating out of lawless Somalia. 2009 has shown even more activity then 2008 and according to the International Maritime Bureau, which monitors shipping crimes, such as piracy.

Figures are showing that successful attacks have gone down as a result of a strong presence of international monitors.

For example, two vessels were attacked the day after the Chandlers set sail. One, a cargo ship. It was successfully boarded and seized off the Seychelles. The other fought off the pirates near the Kenyan coast.

Then on Thursday, October 29th, 2009, pirates attacked and boarded a Thai flagged fishing ship about 200 miles north of the Seychelles.

I am a rocket scientist…but I would not be boating in the areas where the pirates are active, unless it was Johnny Depp.

For the full story of “Somalian Pirates Move British Hostages,” go to CNN News.