Five Somalis have been
convict
ed of piracy in a Dutch court and sentenced to five years in prison. It's the first ruling of its kind in a European court. They were found guilty of attacking a cargo ship off the coast of Somalia last year. From The Hague, Geraldine Coughlin.
The men had claimed they were the innocent victims of engine failure and had tried to approach the cargo ship for help when they were mistaken for pirates and attacked. They were arrested after their high-speed boat was intercepted by a Danish frigate, part of a European Union anti-piracy operation in the Gulf of Aden. The five men are convicted under the 17th century law of the sea, but their trial
throws open
the question of
jurisdiction
over crimes at sea in international waters.
A new UN report is warning that organized crime has become a global force and threatens international peace and national sovereignty. The study says criminals are using weapons, violence and bribes to buy elections, politicians and even the military. The UN called organized crime one of the
foremost
economic and armed powers in the world. The study was spearheaded by Antonio Maria Costa who called for urgent action.
"Today, fundamentally, we witness once again the mistrust across borders. I see inability to share intelligence about organized group and information about markets and shipments and
so on and so forth
. We need to promote international cooperation against organized crime."