The Ghana Navy is investigating a suspected pirate attack on the Ghanaian-registered fishing vessel MENGXIN 1, which occurred in Ghanaian waters on the evening of Thursday, March 27, 2025 .
According to preliminary reports, at approximately 5:53 PM, seven armed individuals stormed the vessel, firing warning shots that forced several crew members to hide in a secure area. The pirates took control of the ship for about three hours, assembling the crew on deck and seizing their mobile phones.
When the attackers finally left, the crew emerged from hiding, only to discover that the Captain, Chief Mate, and Chief Engineer—all Chinese nationals—were missing and are feared to have been kidnapped. Due to a lack of mobile network coverage at sea, the crew had to sail closer to land before they could report the attack.
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The remaining crew members are safe, and the vessel has since docked at the Tema Fishing Harbour. The Marine Police and Naval Intelligence from the Eastern Naval Command have launched an investigation, confirming the incident and the suspected abductions.
Authorities have alerted neighboring countries through the ECOWAS Multinational Maritime Coordination Centre (MMCC) Zone F in Accra, under the Yaoundé Architecture for Maritime Security, in an effort to track down the kidnappers.
Meanwhile, Ghana’s intelligence agencies are working around the clock to locate and secure the release of the missing crew members.
Ghana|Atinkaonline.com