![]() ![]() (Depredation is the act of plundering, robbing, or pillaging.) Piracy is an international crime consisting of illegal acts of violence, detention, or depredation committed for private ends by the crew or passengers of a private ship or aircraft in or over international waters against another ship or aircraft or persons and property on board. Attacks by pirate craft may invite military reprisals, and there is a continuing problem off the coast of China with what amounts to state-sponsored piracy by some official Chinese craft. Attacks on oil supertankers hold the potential to ignite environmental disasters. It affects maritime traffic in vital shipping lanes, particularly in Southeast Asia. Today's piracy is more than a nuisance to commercial shipping. The criminals carrying out pirate attacks often display a complete lack of concern for the victimized crews, who are at risk of being severely wounded, killed, or set adrift. Of greater concern to the shipping industry is the level of violence used during attacks. These gangs may acquire the capability to target ships on the open ocean thus increasing the potential number of piracy victims. A dangerous trend was the emergence of organized pirate gangs, which may conduct multi-ship operations, and/or use tactics of a quasi-military nature. Piracy in the 1990s against commercial shipping revealed increasing violence and professioal organization. Modern day pirates, well armed and well equipped, are becoming more active in the Pacific and along the coasts of Africa and South America. The end of both colonial controls and latter the cold war has reduced naval presence and capability in regions where piracy has historically flourished. Pirates are thus able to make surprise attacks on unarmed merchantmen and get away with money and loot. Today's ships, with their high-value cargos and small crews to man the ships that carry them, are highly vulnerable to criminal predators in high-speed boats, armed with modern assault weapons, and operating in sea lanes that international carriers must traverse. Gone are the days when the pirates had eye patches, swords, and were the masters of fast cutters now it's Raybans, cellular phones and high-speed boats.
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