Ghanaian fishing vessel attacked: Three Chinese crew members kidnapped
Three Chinese crew members have been kidnapped following a suspected pirate attack on the Ghanaian-registered fishing vessel Mengxin 1 in Ghanaian waters yesterday.
The missing crew members—the captain, chief mate, and chief engineer—were discovered to be absent after the attackers left the vessel.
Reports suggest that seven armed men stormed the ship around 5:53 p.m., firing warning shots and forcing several crew members to seek refuge in a secure area.
The attackers reportedly remained on board for nearly three hours, rounding up the crew on deck and confiscating their phones before departing.
“When the crew emerged, they discovered that the ship’s captain, chief mate, and chief engineer—all Chinese nationals—were missing and are believed to have been kidnapped. Due to poor signal coverage at sea, the crew had to sail closer to shore before they could report the incident,” a statement issued today (March 29, 2025) by the Director-General of Public Relations at the Ghana Armed Forces, Brigadier General E. Aggrey-Quashie, said.
Investigations underway
The statement confirmed that the vessel had since arrived safely at Tema Fishing Harbour, where Marine Police and Naval Intelligence officers had begun questioning the crew.
It also stated that authorities had alerted neighbouring countries through the ECOWAS Multinational Maritime Coordination Centre (MMCC) in Accra, as part of broader regional efforts to combat maritime piracy under the Yaoundé security framework.
The statement assured that all necessary measures were being taken to track down the perpetrators and secure the safe return of the abducted officers.
