Want pirates? I’ll give you pirates.

Do the words Malacca Strait ring a bell? How about lanun? Didn’t think so. Peter Gwin knows all about though, and he want around the world to write about it.

Though his jailers remain unsure who he is, they know exactly what he is: lanun (pronounced la-noon). When asked for a direct English equivalent, an interpreter explains that there is none, that it is a word freighted with many layers of culture and history. The short, imperfect answer is: The prisoner is a pirate.

He earned that epithet when Malaysia’s marine police captured him and nine accomplices after they hijacked the Nepline Delima, a tanker carrying 7,000 tons of diesel fuel worth three million dollars, in the Strait of Malacca. It was one of several attacks reported during 2005 in the 550-mile channel separating the Indonesian island of Sumatra from the Malay Peninsula, Singapore perched at its southern tip.

The writer’s story is compelling. He comes in contact with several of the local “entrepreneurs”, learns some of the techniques used to board the ships, and watches them sing karaoke. Surreal enough for you?

I pressed him on how his team was able to board ships undetected. “We use magic,” he said. “We cast a spell to make the crew stay asleep. We can be invisible, bulletproof.” He pointed to his head. “It’s a power that you learn.” Then how did you get shot, I asked. “They fired twice,” he said. “I resisted the first bullet but wasn’t strong enough for the second.”

It’s a somewhat lengthy read (eight pages), but it’s fascinating to say the least. If you have a few minutes to spare and want to impress your friends with your pirate knowledge, hit the link check out the full story.

Malacca Strait Pirates