The Mind Bending Ways Real Life Somali Pirates Make Their Money

When we think of pirates, we probably think of a swashbuckling, crazy hat wearing smelly dudes from hundreds of years ago. Most are probably picturing a role played by Johnny Depp in their head right now. However, pirates aren’t something that fell off of the face of the earth. In fact, they very much exist today. However, what most people picture pirates to be isn’t exactly what they are. Instead, they tend to be people from less developed countries who are looking to make a quick buck. The movies like to picture them as chaotically ill-prepared bandits who thrust their way toward any ship with valuable cargo. While part of that is true, there’s a lot more to it than that.

Modern-day pirates aren’t simply lurking in the waters and waiting for these massive cargo ships come around. Instead, they seem to have a very detailed way of organizing their crimes. This phenomenon is an issue that’s kind of tough to prevent. After all, the shipping industry really works hard in order to make every last dollar count. With that in mind, it gets expensive to protect the ships. This is combined with the fact that security doesn’t normally deter the pirates coming with heavy artillery. It creates an odd situation as cargo makes its way across the seas and pirates continue to prey on the slow-moving vessels.

The video below lays out the roadmap of how exactly some of the most violent offenders from Somalia are making their money. Here in western culture and in most cultures across the world, these are definitely the bad guys. In no way are we saying that there’s justification in their actions. However, when we learn a bit more about Somalia, it’s not hard to see where the desperation comes from. With millions of dollars just floating by, they don’t look the other way. With all of these combustible factors in a pressure cooker, things can get a little bit intense.