By Allan Lengel
ticklethewire.com
The modern day pirates continue to baffle the world in their ability to commandeer large ships and get away with it. Still, not all have gone free.
On Thursday, Jama Idle Ibrahim, a/k/a Jaamac Ciidle, was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Washington to 25 years in prison for his role in the takeover of a merchant vessel, the M/V CEC Future, in the Gulf of Aden for 71 days from November 2008 to January 16, 2009.
Ibrahim, 39, of Somalia, pled guilty on September 8, 2010 to conspiracy to commit piracy under the law of nations and conspiracy to use a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.
Authorities said the act of piracy against against the vessel began on Nov. 7, 2008 when Ibrahim and other Somalis pirates, armed with AK 47s, a rocket-propelled grenade, and handguns, attacked and seized the vessel.
The pirates held the vessel, cargo, and 13 crew members for ransom and forced the crew to anchor in waters off the Somalia coast.
In time, additional pirates boarded the vessel. The pirates threatened the crew, stole money, food and supplies and gave up the ship after they got a $1.7 million ransom.
“Modern-day pirates are nothing like the swashbuckling heroes in Hollywood movies,” said D.C. U.S. Attorney Ronald Machen Jr. “Today’s pirates are ruthless criminals who hold ships and their crews hostage with AK-47s and rocket-propelled grenades. Twenty-five years in prison is a just punishment for this attack that threatened international commerce and human life.”
