Somali pirates fight over huge tanker ransom

[cory777]

Source: BBC

Somali pirates have been fighting over a huge ransom paid to free a Greek-owned oil tanker, pirates and a maritime official said.

The argument between rival pirate gangs means that the ship, the Maran Centaurus, has not yet been freed, a local group that monitors piracy said.

A ransom of between $5.5m and $7m (£3.4m-£4.3m) is believed to have been dropped on the deck of the tanker.

The Maran Centaurus was seized in November with 28 crew members.

As the ransom was due to be delivered on Sunday, pirates on board the tanker and others in speedboats were reportedly already firing weapons at each other.

"The argument intensified when the ransom money was brought," Ahmed Ganey, a member of the gang that hijacked the ship, was quoted as saying by the AFP news agency.

"Some of the pirates are on board the ship while others are onshore and refusing anybody to get down or to go on board," he said.

'Stand-off'

"The problem is now that the pirates on the vessel will not be able to return to the shore, because of the infighting," said Ecoterra International, a Nairobi-based group that monitors shipping off Somalia.

Read more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8464737.stm

[ChicagoSuz219]

1. If they're firing at an oil tanker...

...won't it just be a matter of time before they blow the damn thing up?

[Angleae]

2. It depends on what it's carrying

Also, it depends on what weapons they're using. Typical small arms suck as an AK-47 don't penetrate steel real well.

[MercutioATC]

4. You can shoot into oil all day...nothing is going to blow up.

[sofa king]

5. I think they use an oil fountain to catch bullets at the NRA range.

The one in the basement of their lobbying building in Northern Virginia.

http://www.nrahq.org/shootingrange/nrahqrange/

[jbnow]

3. If they don't promptly release ships the ransoms might become

less automatic.
People are paying them because they work, they get their ship, cargo, crew back in good shape