Posted on 06/18/2011 1:47:27 PM PDT by Pan_Yan
MOGADISHU, Somalia – A Somali court on Saturday sentenced three British nationals, an American and two Kenyans to at least 10 years in prison each for bringing millions of dollars intended for pirate ransom into the country.
Two of the defendants were sentenced to 15 years in prison and a $15,000 fine, said Somali Information Ministry spokesman Abdifitah Abdinur. The other defendants were sentenced to 10 years and a $10,000 fine.
The men were arrested in Mogadishu last month after their planes were found to be carrying millions of dollars in cash. A Somali official previously said the planes are used by companies that frequently deliver ransoms to pirates.
Officials did not give further details on the jailed Westerners.
Pirates have been receiving millions of dollars in ransoms for several years now, but Saturday was the first time Westerners were sentenced for their role in paying out the ransoms.
The average ransom paid to pirates has reached nearly $5 million. The ransoms are often air-dropped down to hijacked ships.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
Run boats as bait and kill any pirates that show up. Drone attack their bases.
A Somali court on Saturday sentenced three British nationals, an American and two Kenyans to at least 10 years in prison each for bringing millions of dollars intended for pirate ransom into the country. Two of the defendants were sentenced to 15 years in prison and a $15,000 fine..."Welcome to Scamalia!"
The real problem was probably that the foreigners didn’t plan to give the Somali regime (the landlubber branch of the pirate fraternity) its cut.
Hell, the only thing they did wrong was forget to bribe everyone involved.
Pretty pert of this virtual anarchy. Will pirates now bust them out of prison in this ongoing story of intrigue?
Somalian pirates will, at least, probably stop insisting that ransoms be delivered to them on Somalian territory, knowing that they are likely to be thus frustrated.
Court in Somalia? BS, it’s just another kidnapping.
Rival pirates. Yo ho ho and a bottle of ginger ale.
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