The attacks range from thieves sneaking on board to pilfer food supplies to gangs of ex-soldiers toting automatic weapons looking to empty the ship's safe. But in 1983, Sweden submitted a report to the U.N.'s Maritime Safety Committee that told of the rebirth of pirate attacks on ships at anchor off West Africa, especially Nigeria. Between 1982 and 1986, about 25 pirate attacks were reported annually. As authorities in the region prepared to do battle, pirate attacks began cropping up in the South and East China Seas, off the coasts of China and the Philippines. In 1999, Indonesian waters became the most dangerous.
Authorities say a number of converging trends have brought on the resurrection of piracy.
As the world's economy increasingly relies on international trade, exporters are sending more ships to transport commodities to market. Security experts say new technology also helps the criminals. The lightly manned vessels are fat targets for pirate crews who may use cellular telephones and cheap, powerful arms such as AK-47 automatic rifles. As the slow-moving ships pass near land, criminals in speedboats have little trouble overtaking them. Exacerbating the problem is the increasing lawlessness in Southeast Asia, especially Indonesia, following the 1997 Asian currency crisis.