Somali Pirates: Belgians Talk "Stardom" But Only Star Turn for Pirate Leader Will Be in Court

Noted yesterday that a Somali pirate "king" had been arrested in Belgium (see here) - the best part is that the star turn the pirate expected will be at his trial on hijacking and kidnapping charges instead in the movies, as set out by BBC News in "Somali pirate leader 'Big Mouth' arrested in Belgium 'sting'"

Mohammed Abdi Hassan, also known as Afweyneh or Big Mouth, was detained at Brussels international airport on Saturday after a sting operation.

Undercover agents had persuaded the Somali and an associate that they wanted to make a documentary about their pirate exploits.

Mr Abdi Hassan now faces criminal charges, including hijacking.

When you go seeking fame, you sometimes get the wrong kind.

Somali Pirates: "Reformed" Pirate Arrested in Belgium

Well, last week we had a little fun with his conversion from pirate to "counter-pirate" in Somali Pirates: Stranger than fiction. Now, the pirate whose nickname is "Big Mouth" finds himself under arrest, as the BBC reports in "Prominent Somali pirate 'arrested in Belgium'":

A man alleged to be one of Somalia's most influential pirate leaders has been arrested in Belgium, media reports say.

They said Mohammed Abdi Hassan, also known as Afweyneh (Big Mouth), was held at Brussels airport after arriving on a plane from Kenya.
***He is believed to have earned millions of dollars in ransom payments as a result of acts of piracy.

The suspect is said to have been arrested at the same time as another alleged pirate; it remains unclear what the two men were doing in Belgium.
***
Belgian vessels have in the past taken part in international missions against piracy on the high seas off Somalia.

In a UN report leaked last year, it was alleged that Afweyneh was "one of the most notorious and influential leaders of the Hobyo-Harardhere Piracy Network".

Unstated in the article. of course, is the degree of effectiveness of the Kenyan airport security screening which let this guy get on an airplane.

I figure about 15 years in jail, but if any of the captive sailors from the hijacked ships testify, it could get worse. While the Somalis keep them alive (for the most part), the conditions are often not pleasant. Perhaps a term trapped on a ship anchored off Somalia with no functioning a/c, etc would be just the ticket.

Probably too cruel under Belgium law.

Somali Pirates: Belgian ship and crew released after ransom paid

As reported here:

Somali pirates have released the entire crew of a Belgian ship seized 10 weeks ago after a ransom was paid, the Belgian government said Sunday.

The 10-member crew of the Pompei dredger was in good health and sailing the ship to an unidentified harbor where it will arrive in a few days, the government said. The crew members will then fly home to their families.

Defense Minister Pieter De Crem told a news conference that the ship's owners paid a ransom to release the ship and crew. He declined to say how much, but said pirates had demanded $8 million.

A plane dropped the money into the sea near the Belgian vessel Saturday, De Crem said. About 10 pirates on board abandoned the ship early Sunday