Somali Pirates: Live the Rich, Luxury Car, Home Area, Beautiful Wife (Sen, 11 Apr 2011 15.53 WIB)

Somali Pirates: Live the Rich, Luxury Car, Home Area, Beautiful Wife (Sen, 11 Apr 2011 15.53 WIB)

REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA - Who would have thought that Somali pirates life difficult? Plunder their money for-results for the family, the clan, to his pirates, and the rest buy new weapons and ships. 

With the ransom money per ship reaches millions of U.S. dollars, it is not a Mustahal HIL if the pirates had his life bergeliman dollars. They are surrounded by pretty girls, big house and acres, the car brand from Europe and Japan, and of course the latest weapons technology. 

"No information today. No comment," snapped one Somali pirates by satellite phone lines, such as the BBC's heard. He then ended the conversation with a slamming of the phone. 

His tone was nervous. Possible he nervously waited to see if ransom millions of dollars will flow into their pockets. Somali pirates had just hijacked a Ukrainian ship, MV Faina. That scene is the content of this ship: 33 Russian battle tanks. 

Because of this dangerous cargo, the pirates became a little worried. But they're still waiting for the ransom. Who the hell is this really the pirates? According to residents in Puntland, the region became home by pirates, the pirates have a high lifestyle. 

"They have money, they have the power, and they are getting stronger every day," says Abdi Farah Juha, a resident of Garowe, near Puntland. 

"The pirates had a beautiful wife." They have luxury homes. The new car and new weapons, "said Juha. "Here, in Somalia, the pirates is a high class and fashionable society," he said again. 

The average age is 20-35 years old pirates. They became pirates solely because of money. And they get it. This makes the village in the Puntland pirates into a prosperous region. 180 degrees different from the other Somali regions get something to eat just have to ask for aid agencies and other countries. 

The average owner of a ship in the Gulf of Aden dirompak have to spend as deep as two million U.S. dollars. In return, if paid, then the cargo ship and the crew kept the ship alive. The BBC is entered into the village pirates in Puntland said the pirates this unique compact between groups one and other. 

They can be compact because there is money in between them. Puntland citizens who become pirates and wounded shoot often appeared on the streets of the area. On the beach there was no corpse anyone, locals or foreigners. 

Looking at the history of Somalia's civil war and war often tribal, 'solidarity' pirates in Puntland is very unique. That explains why there are reports that pirates shot dead in MV Faina hostage was denied by them. 

A spokesman for the pirates, Sugule Ali, confirmed on the BBC in Somalia, that all the hostages healthy. "All happy. We welcome the Hari Raya opened fire," she said quietly. 

Three Groups 

Observers Somalia Mohamed Mohamed says there are three major groups that became the forerunners of pirates. The first group is a former fisherman. They are the backbone of the operation because pirates are so familiar with the Gulf of Aden. 

The second group is a former militia of the Somali civil war. They became executor pirates. The last group is the IT expert. Those who operate sophisticated equipment to merompak ships at sea, including communicating through satellite phones and weapons expert. 

British research institute, Chatham House, to report piracy action in a year could reach 30 million U.S. dollars. Pirates are also more aggressive and play hard to determine the ransom. The ship MV Faina have to pay if you want to release 22 million dollars! Although the latter dropped to 8 million U.S. dollars. 

The pirates are getting weapons from Yemen and Mogadishu (the capital of Somalia). Analysts said the arms dealer in Mogadishu received weapons from the pirates orders through local money transfer companies. After the instruction is received, the transaction with the gun running and arms sent via land routes into Puntland. They pay cash on the spot. 

That might be a little hard to believe is in abundance of money, now the pirates have the 'bank'. Somali business people often borrow credit to the pirates. This is a new field for the citizens of Puntland who are reluctant to become pirates. Being a pirate credit brokers. 

When in operation, to maintain stamina, the pirates are often using drugs and munch handwriting (local doping). They also smoke and drink alcohol hashih. 

The fishermen were flocking into pirates as a shortcut to get rich. Moreover, traditional fish they can not compete with international trawl vessels operating illegally in Somalia. 

Initially, the pirates began in southern Somalia. New move to the north since 2007. Abdulkadil Mohamed, a resident of Garowe, said the reality faced by residents of coastal Somalia. "They do not consider themselves pirates. They consider themselves coast guard (Coastguard). It is illegal fishing here is to change them so the pirates," he said.