November 18th, 2008 // comments (0)

Photos: Modern Day Pirates

Pirates are expected to a record ransom of more than $10million for the release of the Saudi oil supertanker hijacked off the Kenyan coast, as the spate of hijackings gathered pace with two more ships seized today.

Negotiations over the Sirius Star, packed with two million barrels of crude oil worth $100million (£67m) – enough to supply the whole of France for a day – were said still not to have opened formally.

But officials involved in the release of previous ships claimed that ‘electronic monitoring’ showed the Somali pirates ‘were talking’ of at least $10million (£6.7m).

Related:

• April 8, 2009 -- Americans Retake Ship From Pirates
• April 8, 2009 -- Somali Pirates Hijack American Ship
• December 19, 2008 -- Pirates ‘Looking For’ Luxury Yachts
• November 19, 2008 -- Revealed: The African Pirate Trade
• December 30, 2009 -- SOMALI ATTACK THWARTED?
• December 15, 2009 -- STONED TO DEATH
• April 21, 2009 -- The Crying Pirate: Somali Pirate Breaks Down In U.S. Court
• February 2, 2009 -- Somali Pirate ‘Seige’ Diary Surfaces
• December 12, 2008 -- Teen: “Mom, I’m In Somalia”