The leader of the band of pirates who hijacked the Maersk Alabama in March of 2009, then held its captain hostage for four days, was sentenced to 33 years and 9 months in prison today. This one rare piracy prosecution, U.S. attorney Preet Bharara says, “makes it clear that piracy on the high seas is a crime against the international community that will not be tolerated.” Pirates had a record year in 2010. [Bloomberg]
