Somalia: World Food Program boats stolen

Reported as Pirates steal WFP boats in Somalia: officials:

Pirates stole two World Food Programme boats that were anchored in southern Somali port town of Merca, officials said on Monday.

"The two fiberglass boats were stolen at midnight (Sunday) and we don't exactly know who took them. They were used to train our staff members for emergency cases," a local WFP staffer told AFP.

"None of our staff members was there at the time so they took the boats alone," from Merca, about 100 kilometres (63 miles) south of the lawless capital Mogadishu.

I'd suggest nailing such things down, but there are obvious problems with that approach...

UPDATE: Boats, without motors, recovered:

The two fibreglass boats, stolen at midnight on Sunday midnight, found near the port, said WFP spokesman Peter Smerdon.

"The two boats have been recovered about one kilometre from Merca town, but without their engines. We have launched an investigation and are attempting to recover the engines," Smerdon told AFP in Nairobi.

Smerdon said it was unclear whether the boats had been stolen by ordinary criminals or pirates.

I can answer that, Mr. Smerdon. Unless the boats were captured on the high seas (international waters), what you have is a sea crime, not piracy.