‘Well-Placed Informers’ in Constant Contact with Pirates by Satellite Telephone
May 13th, 2009Via: Guardian:
The Somali pirates attacking shipping in the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean are directed to their targets by a “consultant” team in London, according to a European military intelligence document obtained by a Spanish radio station.
The document, obtained by Cadena SER radio, says the team and the pirates remain in contact by satellite telephone.
It says that pirate groups have “well-placed informers” in London who are in regular contact with control centres in Somalia where decisions on which vessels to attack are made. These London-based “consultants” help the pirates select targets, providing information on the ships’ cargoes and courses.
In at least one case the pirates have remained in contact with their London informants from the hijacked ship, according to one targeted shipping company.
The pirates’ information network extends to Yemen, Dubai and the Suez canal.
The intelligence report is understood to have been issued to European navies.
“The information that merchant ships sailing through the area volunteer to various international organisations is ending up in the pirates’ hands,” Cadena SER reported the report as saying.
This enables the more organised pirate groups to study their targets in advance, even spending several days training teams for specific hijacks. Senior pirates then join the vessel once it has been sailed close to Somalia.
Captains of attacked ships have found that pirates know everything from the layout of the vessel to its ports of call. Vessels targeted as a result of this kind of intelligence included the Greek cargo ship Titan, the Turkish merchant ship Karagol and the Spanish trawler Felipe Ruano.
In each case, says the document, the pirates had full knowledge of the cargo, nationality and course of the vessel.
The national flag of a ship is also taken into account when choosing a target, with British vessels being increasingly avoided, according to the report. It was not clear whether this was because pirates did not want to draw the attention of British police to their information sources in London.
European countries have set up Operation Atalanta to co-ordinate their military efforts in the area.
Back in 2002 “The Toothfish Pirates An investigation into international criminal syndicates who plunder Australia’s southern seas.”
http://www.abc.net.au/4corners/stories/s689740.htm
In the last four years, international criminal syndicates operating out of Jakarta have made regular and calculated forays into Australian waters.
….
“CHRIS MASTERS: Although old, the boats were provided with the latest radar and communications equipment.
There was an inner and outer perimeter with the whole operation intricately choreographed from fleet headquarters in order to minimise risk.
Vessels were also kept up-to-date with the whereabouts of the [Ahux note: yes the 🙂 ] Australian Fisheries patrol boat.
JOSE SANCHEZ: From the navy there is no warning.
On the other hand, we know everything about the patrol boat — even when they are filling the tanks up.
TOM MORRIS: Here’s one of the documents in particular, it’s got Sun Hope all over it”
So yes the world ports are full of informers for hire. It just depends on what info your are after.”
The real problem is the use of sat phones. The NSA is really really good with them and any local ‘air force’ can guide a any ‘junk’ missile down. Dzokhar Dudayev (President of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria) was killed via laser-guided missiles when he was using/near a satellite phone in 1996. The NSA is said to have helped Russia track him.
On the EU end, expect deep surveillance. If there is one thing the USA and its friends love, its a stream of data on their networks. No proxy, cafe, phone or net trick will save them. The SAS vs the IRA showed that.