THE BUSINESS OF PIRACY
News reports of pirate attacks often convey a sense that the attacks, hijackings and robbery that take place on board ships are the result of random acts of violence perpetrated by a bunch of disorganised outlaws.

The truth is that modern day piracy is in many ways a business if not, in some places, an industry. Some commentators feel that it is based on clan and tribal rivalries – others see the hand of a hidden international mafia at work. Those who hold this view point to a large number of attacks where pirates seemed to have extensive prior knowledge of the ship they planned to take.

This video looks at the structure of pirate groups and the way that they organise themselves.