A Captain, Chief Mate, and Chief Engineer—all Chinese nationals have been reported missing in a suspected kidnap case after pirates attacked a Ghanaian vessel.
A press release issued by the Ghana Armed Forces has revealed the attack was launched on the Ghanaian-registered fishing vessel, MENGXIN 1.
The incident occurred in Ghanaian waters on the evening of Thursday, 27 March 2025, at approximately 5:53 PM when seven armed individuals boarded the vessel and fired warning shots.
The sudden assault forced several crew members to seek refuge in a safe area on the ship.
The pirates remained on board for about three hours, during which they assembled the crew on deck and confiscated their mobile phones.
According to the statement, the remaining crew members, who were unharmed, sailed closer to land to report the incident, as there was no mobile network coverage at sea.
The vessel has since docked safely at the Tema Fishing Harbour, where the Marine Police and Naval Intelligence personnel from the Eastern Naval Command conducted initial interrogations.
The incident and the suspected abduction have been confirmed with investigations currently underway by the Ghana Navy.
In response to the attack, information has been shared with neighbouring countries through the ECOWAS Multinational Maritime Coordination Centre (MMCC) Zone F in Accra, under the Yaoundé Architecture for maritime security.
This collaborative effort aims to alert neighboring nations to assist in locating the kidnappers.
The Director General of Public Relations for the Ghana Armed Forces, Brigadier General Eric Aggrey-Quashie has assured the public that intelligence agencies are making every effort to locate and rescue the kidnapped crew members.
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Read the full statement below:
