(Voice) He says the pirates may fear that naval ships patrolling the area will close in on the ship if they believe weapons have fallen into the wrong hands.

VOA: standard.2009.11.10

Antiaccess and area-denial weapons and technologies are dramatically improving and proliferating.

CENTERFORSECURITYPOLICY: Center for Security Policy | The Measure of a Superpower: A Two Major Regional Contingency Military for the 21st Century | Page: 3

But because the ship was likely to eventually make its way to the Red Sea area, a number of weapons systems are thought to have been stored on the ship.

FORBES: Venezuela Frees U.S. Ship And Crew After Smuggling Investigation

Israeli military intelligence is thought to be monitoring the area via satellite for any movement of weapons outside Syria's borders.

BBC: Q&A: Israeli 'strike' on Syria