For thousands of years the Strait of Malacca has been one of the world's busiest trade and shipping routes. By cutting through the strait, ships save 1,000 miles and three days sailing off the voyage between the South China Sea and the Indian Ocean, but it can be a hazardous shortcut. Every day 600 ships crowd into a 500 mile long channel that at times narrows to just 11 miles. With 20% of the world's oil passing through it, thousands of the world's wealthiest tourists and untold millions of dollars of commercial goods, the strait is a magnet for smugglers, illicit traders and pirates. This documentary examines the tools and tactics used in the battle to defeat them, one in particular a high-speed pursuit boat that's capable of chasing down its targets through the maze of small islands and mangrove swamps that pepper the strait. Also included here is filming with the police's specially equipped and trained anti-piracy commando unit. By utilising the latest in spy-ware and infra-red cameras, this programme literally takes us into the front line in their fight against crime.
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