Three Chinese sailors missing in Ghanaian waters suspected to be kidnapped by pirates

A Ghana-registered fishing boat recently encountered a suspected pirate attack in the waters of Ghana, with three Chinese crew members missing and feared kidnapped. The Ghanaian military issued a statement on Saturday (March 29) confirming the incident and stating that an investigation has been initiated.

According to the military, on Thursday (March 28) around 6 pm Greenwich Mean Time, seven armed individuals boarded the fishing vessel named “MENGXIN 1” and fired warning shots into the air. They stayed on the boat for about three hours, during which some crew members hid to avoid the attack.

After the assailants left, the crew members emerged from their hiding places to find the captain, chief mate, and chief engineer missing. The missing individuals are all Chinese nationals, and the military has preliminarily assessed that they may have been kidnapped.

Currently, the “MENGXIN 1” has docked at the Tema Fishing Port in Ghana. The Ghanaian navy has classified this incident as a “suspected pirate attack” and has launched an investigation into the matter.

The Gulf of Guinea has long been a hotspot for global pirate activities, especially in terms of kidnapping and ransom demands targeting commercial and fishing vessels. Despite efforts in recent years to combat piracy, the overall number of incidents in the region remains high.

According to the International Maritime Bureau (IMB), there were a total of 18 pirate incidents in the Gulf of Guinea in 2024. Among them, 12 crew members were kidnapped, accounting for 23% of the total number of hijacked hostages worldwide, indicating that the region remains one of the highest-risk areas for seafarers facing kidnapping.

On December 6, 2024, a Chinese crew member was previously kidnapped by pirates in the waters of Benin but was fortunately rescued on December 25 of the same month through multi-national cooperation.

(This article references relevant reports from Reuters)