Somali pirates keeping you awake at night? Thought not. Get this though - there are 346 hostages, 3 tankers, 4 bulk carriers, 1 merchant ship, 3 fishing boats 2 cargo ships, 1 yacht and three other vessels in their hands right now.
They've been busy. A £2m ransom has just been paid for a Danish family daft enough to stray into their waters. One of the pirates said he would free the Johansens if he could marry the 13-year-old girl. Her two brothers, both under 17, were also aboard when their yacht was captured in the Indian Ocean in February.
Dad Jan had spent a fair bit of the trip boasting on the internet that they "had not been attacked by pirates!" believing his route would keep them safe. Ah well, best laid plans. A botched rescue attempt left seven people dead.
Is it time to get heavy with these people? As the family were told; "These murderous thugs are not like Johnnie Depp." Piracy is big business for one of the poorest countries on the planet. Ransoms float their economy. Would I pay? Of course I would, but maybe it's time for the international community to bring out the big bucks and guns.
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