Pirates Taking Over

More than $150 million have been paid to pirates around the Horn of Africa over the past 12 months, Kenya's foreign minister said Friday.

The money is encouraging them to continue and become more brazen in their attacks, Foreign Minister Moses Wetangula told a news conference in the Kenyan capital.

"That is why they are becoming more and more audacious in their activities," Wetangula said.

Pirate activity off the coastline of east Africa is a cause of growing international concern.

Last weekend pirates, who mostly operate from lawless Somalia, seized a Saudi-owned supertanker Sirius Star, the largest vessel captured to date. Another seized vessel, the Ukrainian MV Faina, was carrying a cargo of military supplies and T-72 tanks.

They currently hold 17 vessels and are estimated to have attacked more than 90 ships in the region so far this year, according to the International Maritime Bureau's Piracy Reporting Center, which monitors piracy around the world. The attacks have increased in recent weeks, the PRC says.

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This is crazy, I can't believe that these guys are getting away with this. You never hear about ransoms being paid and then not catching the people, so these pirates are doing it right. Shit $150 Million. Damn. It costs like 10 cents for a t-shirt in Somalia so these dudes must be living in mansions. I know I would. I don't understand why these ships owners just don't hire like a security boat to travel with them, I'm pretty sure that would be cheaper than a few Mill. Anyway I can't wait for a movie to be made about this, I'm picturing Blood Diamonds mixed with Waterworld mixed with Con-Air, now that would be a sweet film.