Wednesday, December 02, 2009

Piratical stock exchanges

They're not The Invisible Hook's pirates, but they're just as interesting. Check out this excellent piece on the present-day pirates from the Financial Post. Some good bits:

In Somalia's main pirate lair of Haradheere, the sea gangs have set up a cooperative to fund their hijackings offshore, a sort of stock exchange meets criminal syndicate.
"Four months ago, during the monsoon rains, we decided to set up this stock exchange. We started with 15 'maritime companies' and now we are hosting 72. Ten of them have so far been successful at hijacking," Mohammed said.

"The shares are open to all and everybody can take part, whether personally at sea or on land by providing cash, weapons or useful materials ... we've made piracy a community activity."

...


"The district gets a percentage of every ransom from ships that have been released, and that goes on public infrastructure, including our hospital and our public schools."

3 comments:

danarch said...

I don't know if it is considered alimony if it is in the form of a rocket propelled grenade weapon. That is the most awesome thing I've read today though.

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