ship hijacking
Seizing a vessel
Ship hijacking is the forcible seizure of a vessel at sea, typically by armed individuals who board and take control from the crew.
Modern instances often involve Somali pirates demanding ransom for cargo and hostages: The tanker's crew sent a distress signal before the ship hijacking was complete.
Distinguished from mutiny, which comes from within the crew itself.
- piracySeaborne theft or bootlegging
- pirate attackRobbery by sea bandits
- high seasWaters beyond jurisdiction
- hostageCaptive held as security
- ransomPayment for captive's release
ransom demand · Somali · boarding · boarding party · commandeer · seize · sailors · Captain Phillips · maritime · international waters · vessel · crew · gunmen · terrorists · captive · navy · rescue · negotiation