FIRST RECENT ACT OF PIRACY IN THE MED

In the first recent case of piracy in the Med that we’ve heard of, a 17m (54ft) Garcia trawler called Armageddon was hijacked by a group of four armed pirates off the Ilots des Moines, near Bonaficio, Corsica. The owner, his wife and a friend were initially tied up and then set adrift unharmed but shocked in a lifeboat, eventually reaching shore. So far the trawler hasn’t been found. Let’s hope this isn’t the start of a trend. French authorities don't dispute the facts but say this is not "piracy" because the crew were not held for ransom. They are saying this is a marine version of luxury car theft. There has been little media coverage of this incident.