[weegee]

They go for the captain and engineer and take all the paperwork so they know who to contact for the ransom. The shipping companies obviously would never admit they pay these guys, but apparently tens of millions of dollars changes hands every year.

Thomas Jefferson refused to pay protection money to the Barbary pirates. Europe was ready with cash in hand. As they are today when their citizens are kidnapped by Islamic terrorists.

Same as it ever was.

[Diogenesis]

There is a difference. The Islamic terrorists have weapons undreamed of previously
and a hoard of docile dhimmis running the West and the MSM.