Drum Cussac, a private security firm operating in the Gulf of Aden, roused interest at Posidonia 2012

The company offers a range of offshore security, transit security and risk management services.

The company has its own floating logistical base in the Gulf, as well as villas where the men have downtime, and even, on one site, they give voluntary service at a local orphanage.

Its agents are recruited from the Royal Marines and Special Boat Service, and they are given training in human rights, as well as corporate-social responsibility and general maritime training.

“We’re bringing on new integrated services over the next year, and we’re enhancing our presence in the Gulf. With the right licensing we can embark and disembark men and weapons more efficiently than our competitors,” said Mark Pearce, marketing director. “

Pearce made specific reference to the British government, which has expressed its intention to begin drafting legislation to regulate and operate maritime security. “We have compliance officers, a legal team, and health and safety officers.”

“We’ve actually rescued three suspected pirates off the coast of Somalia,” Pearce chuckled. “Their skiff had capsized, and they were just drifting around in the sea, so we picked them up, gave them something to eat, and took them back to the shore. We couldn’t just leave them there.”