Stock Photo - INDIAN OCEAN Off the coast of Somalia -- 19 Nov 2008 -- The Liberian-flagged oil tanker MV Sirius Star is at anchor Wednesday, 19 November, 2008, off the coast of Somalia. The Saudi-owned very large crude carrier was hijacked by Somali pirates on 15 November 2008 about 450 nautical miles off the coast of Kenya and forced to proceed to anchorage near Harardhere, Somalia. This is the most audacious and far ranging operation pulled off by the pirates who are using increasingly sophisticated tactics to avoid some of the world's navies which are patrolling the area to prevent these acts of piracy. Though seemingly, the pirates go from strength to strength and have proven with this tanker that piracy is far from confined to the history books -- Picture by William Stevens / Lightroom Photos / US Navy.