Pirates Take Greek Tanker

Off the Togo coast, pirates captured a Greek oil tanker, taking her crew of twenty-four hostage.

The pirates had a short fire fight with a Togolese patrol boat, but managed to escape.

This marks the sixth ship that has been taken off of West Africa, during 2012.

Piracy off East Africa, especially Somalia, is a lot more common.

Interestingly, the two groups go about it very differently.

While the East Africans hold the ship, cargo, and crew hostage until paid, the West Africans normally transfer any cargo to another ship and then within a few days release the ship and crew.