Modern Wisdom

#478 - Kit Chellel - The Wild Hijacking Of A $100 Million Supertanker

May 26, 2022

Kit Chellel, a senior reporter at Bloomberg and author of "Dead in the Water," unravels the riveting saga of the Brilliante Virtuoso supertanker hijacking. He reveals the dark dynamics of modern piracy and the tangled web of insurance claims fueled by corruption. Chellel discusses the perilous situation for the crew against armed pirates in the Gulf of Aden, and the complex investigations plagued by legal loopholes and systemic complacency. The emotional toll on families of victims and the intricacies of maritime fraud highlight the moral ambiguities of global shipping.

58:37

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Episode guests

Kit Chellel

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Episode notes

Intro

2min

The Hidden Epidemic of Modern Piracy

4min

Piracy and Peril in the Gulf of Aden

26min

Unraveling the Brillante Virtuoso Mystery

19min

The Lingering Pain of Unresolved Grief and Accountability

2min

Maritime Fraud and Criminal Networks

5min

Navigating the Intricacies of Maritime Fraud and Justice

4min

Kit Chellel is a senior reporter at Bloomberg news, an investigative journalist and an author.

The Brilliante Virtuoso was a Suezmax Supertanker. The largest class of ship that can go through the Suez Canal. It had a million barrels of oil on it and was supposed to be escorted by a security team. It was hijacked and burned by Somali pirates, nothing was stolen and the owners claimed $100 million for insurance.

The British investigator is killed overseas, a Greek millionaire threatens people in court and no one can work out what's happened or how to discover who has committed the crimes. And that's just where the story starts...

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