Rise in Murders, Kidnappings at Sea Makes Piracy a Top Naval Priority Worldwide

Sea Power, Oct 2004 by Munns, David W

Despite the gaps in the system, some pirates eventually get caught. The undoing of an especially vicious pirate gang began in November 1998, according to ABC News, when fishermen in Shantou, China, found a corpse in their net bound to a metal weight, its mouth taped shut. Fishermen in the area would bring up several more corpses over the next several days. All were crewmembers of the cargo ship Cheung Son, which had been reported missing weeks before while on course from Shanghai to Malaysia.

The ship and its cargo have never been found, and the pirates might have gotten away with their crime, but for one slip up. While questioning a suspect, Chinese authorities discovered some photographs of the pirates partying among the dead aboard the Cheung Son, ABC News reported. Thirteen of the pirates were executed in late 2003.

By DAVID W. MUNNS

Assistant Editor