CO129-521-3 Piracy in Chinese waters- anti-piracy measures 9-4-1930 - 20-11-1930 — Page 61

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The remainder of the gang search the passengers for money and jewellery, they also search the cabins for valuables. An officer is then ordered, on pain of death, to take the ship into one of the three bays. If the piracy occurs a long way off from Bias Bay the ship is taken out of the track of shipping and brought in at night to a selected spot. When near the shore the gang fill up the ship's boats with plunder and usually take a few of the richer passengers for ran som. When rowing ashore they usually take several of the members of the crew and possibly officers with them to deter those on board from firing at them. On the return of her boats the ship proceeds on her way to port and if no resistance has been offered to the pirates she will probably be undamaged.

Flunder and hostages.

9. The money and valuables carried by Chinese passengers travelling from Malaya is very considerable, especially during the Chinese New Year season, but sometimes the pirates' haul from ships trading north of Hongkong does not cover the cost of their expedition. On landing with their booty (which sometimes includes some of the ships cargo if easily removable) the pirates are met on the beach by their friends. The plunder is put into baskets and carried overlandto some villages, probably Fan Lo Kong, where it is distributed by the men who financed the expedition. Casualties have been known to occur during the distribution of the plunder. The hostages are generally sent to some remote place in the mountains and in course of time the pirates demand a ransom from their friends or relations, threatening death or torture to their prisoners if this is not forthcoming.

N.B.

In the case of two hostages captured in the "Deli Maru” piracy in September 1929, these men were moved about from place to place in the neighbourhood of Fan Lo Kong for some six months. Their captors were eventually attacked by Communists who beat off the bandits and gave the hostages a safe passage down to the coast.