Somali pirates put superyacht rich in range.S.Korean destroyer begins patrols in Somali waters

LONDON, April 16 - Multi-million-dollar superyachts sailing from the Indian Ocean to the Mediterranean for the European summer could be the next high-profile target of Somali pirates, security experts say.The luxury craft, many measuring more than 100 metres and owned by some of the world's wealthiest people, tend to spend the northern hemisphere winter in the Indian Ocean or the Caribbean before relocating to the Mediterranean to host their owners and friends.Those moving from tropical islands such as the Seychelles, Mauritius and the Maldives need to sail through the Gulf of Aden to get to the Mediterranean via the Suez Canal, taking them through the Somali coast's pirated waters.As the weather off the Horn of Africa has turned calmer in recent weeks, attacks have risen dramatically, with all vessels, from small merchant ships to supertankers, vulnerable. Motoryachts owned or chartered by the mega-rich could be next."The pirates have really increased their capability, they've got better, faster boats with longer ranges, and they're able to operate at night up to 300 miles off the coast," Crispian Cuss, a security specialist with Olive Group, told Reuters."If a superyacht comes through their area of operation, then they are just as likely to go for it as anything else. They would be delighted to have that. It would be rich pickings."Scott Lidbetter, the head of Veritas International, which provides specialist maritime security advice, has seen a surge in demand in recent months as piracy has spiked.,more..http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/index.php/world/23539-somali-pirates-put-superyacht-rich-in-range
S.Korean destroyer begins patrols in Somali waters
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