Ross Kemp is hunting pirates in Somalia on Sky 1. He’s with a Royal Navy frigate. They’ve spotted a suspicious looking dhow towing a skiff. Boats are sent out with marines to investigate. There are a lot of people on the dhow. A man holds up a fish to say he’s just a fisherman, but the marines think it’s a boat “smuggling” people out of Somalia.
The frigate doesn’t have much autonomy. It has to radio naval command in London to get permission to board. That permission isn’t granted so the dhow is sent on its way.
If I was out in my boat and guys turned up with machine guns and started asking me questions I wouldn’t be too impressed. The marines say if they find weapons that means they’ve found pirates. Maybe, but what about weapons for self defence?
I like the way Ross Kemp talks. He’s no-nonsense and doesn’t over dramatise things.
One sailor says, “I’ve got a family to feed but I don’t go around pointing guns at people… Well… I do.”
A merchant ship has radioed the frigate complaing that speed boats are chasing it. This is more like it. A helicopter is sent out to investigate. It’s a Merlin with two marines on board who can shoot out the doors. An American ship in the area has also dispatched a
helicopter. Who will get there first? The merchant ship has reported that the speedboats have run away. The American helicopter gets there first and says there is no more threat.
Ross Kemp laments that the gulf is large, making pirates hard to get to in time. At a briefing, an officer explains that pirates have started operating from motherships, allowing them to loiter at sea and operate farther from shore. It’s believed that they are supported by clans on shore who provide logistical support: they seem more organised than just bands of opportunists.
News comes in that a ship called Saldhana has been pirated. There has been no distress call but it has suddenly changed course. On the radio, the Soldhana captain says he and his 22 crew are being held hostage. Out goes the helicopter, but the pirates say to stay away, and the Frigate captain says he can’t just go and board out of fear for the safety of the crew.
The helicopter is sent back. The helicopter crew is “fucking pissed off”. Saldhana sails right past the frigate, which can do nothing.
It seems as if the Navy can only act if they catch the pirates red handed. No wonder they have to go out hassling fishing boats. I’m not sure a Navy frigate can be very effective.
Private armed security boats to escort merchant ships would be a better solution. I wonder why this does not happen more than it does.
A skiff is found floating nearby with a snapped rope – it must have belonged to the pirates and broken away from the Saldhana. It contains lots of fuel, an RPG, cash, clothes, food and some Arsenal merchandise. The Navy uses it for target practice. The minigun is pretty impressive.
Next week, Ross goes to interview pirates in Nigeria.
