Around the Seychelles: base and intelligence, sinews of war for pirates

(BRUXELLES2) The Gulf of Aden is well watched, the bands of pirates seem to have made the waters surrounding the Seychelles their new area of ​​action. So far from the coast, what can they do? can we ask ourselves….

A "trap" around the Seychelles

The days – if ever – when pirates would go on adventures aboard one or two skiffs towed by a mother ship to attack the first boat that came along, seem over, at least for some of you. them. The pirates have more and more organized in a very strategic way. They leave a bit like " on a fishing trip “explains an interlocutor. In the Seychelles, they seem to act like a trap. Fishermen who thought they were fishing in peace on the east of the Seychelles are not really reassured today. " They have settled all over the Seychelles and are waiting at the exit or the entrance. This means that we must be protected even when we go to reputedly safe areas explains a French fisheries official. Assuming that there are reputedly safe areas. " They are real professionals, they are not fishermen in disguise or a little resourceful. They know how to climb on a ship, cut certain installations. adds Patrick Héliès, the boss of the French tuna boat, the Drennec (attacked twice, in September 2008 and in October, has just back to sea). " There is an evolution of pirate tactics. It's undeniable confirms a European soldier.

A base… bases?

The existence of a base around the Seychelles was a hypothesis, raised very early on but officially denied by French officials in the fight against piracy. In fact, explains a “piracy” specialist: “ We ask a lot of questions. How can they carry out campaigns so far from their base? We are looking for. But we did not find ". With just a few drums of fuel in a boat, it seems, indeed, difficult to carry out large-scale operations so far from the base, more than 600, even 900 nautical miles from the Somali coast. " There must be a base somewhere, either floating or on land. We are looking for. We gather information commented a European soldier. And another to clarify: There must be a base somewhere: floating or fixed”, or both. The structure adopted by some pirates - not all - seems to be in fact "star": " Several mother boats to which are hung skiffs which come to refuel from a larger one - this one being supplied regularly by other skiffs ". It is the track of a floating base which thus seems, for the moment, the most serious.

The hypothesis of a base in a discrete island is however not ruled out. Even if it seems more difficult in terms of operation. However " since the time - explains a participant in the operation - we would have discovered them ". No one sees the “pirates” settling on an island devoid of everything. But it is difficult to verify, as the islands are numerous. In any case, the pirates seem to benefit from certain complicities in the surrounding countries: Seychelles or Maldives… The military are therefore conducting discreet investigative campaigns to try to determine these new operating methods and locate possible “floating bases”.

information networks

The pirates are not only "helped" logistically. They also seem to benefit from certain information from the countries of departure of the boats. Hackers sometimes seem to stalk a target so precisely that it seems unlikely. The attack of thealakrana would not thus be due to the total chance of the oceans. " They know who is leaving. They have information circulating confirms Patrick Héliès, captain of the Drennec.

(Nicolas Gros-Verheyde)