For pirates off both West and East Africa, the laden tanker has
become the most sought after prize. There are two distinct business
models and both present challenges to the owners and underwriters
of a high value oil cargo. Off Somalia, the south-west monsoon is
coming to an end and there are stark warnings from the military
that the new piracy "season" is upon us. Activity levels
in September matched those of the past two years and despite the
best efforts of an under-resourced coalition of naval forces, the
pirates continue to run rings around international law. It is
inevitable that another tanker will be taken over the next few
months and, as we have seen from recent cases such as the Irene
SL and the Samho Dream, this will undoubtedly mean
significant ransom payments to secure the release of crew, ship and
cargo. Off West Africa, in the Gulf of Guinea, armed gangs are
targeting the cargo itself, stealing large quantities that they
intend to sell ashore. This
