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 the Ghana Armed Forces, seven armed individuals boarded the vessel around 5:53 PM, firing warning shots and forcing crew members to seek shelter. The pirates remained on board for approximately three hours, confiscating mobile phones and assembling the crew.
Upon the pirates’ departure, it was discovered that the Captain, Chief Mate, and Chief Engineer – all Chinese nationals – were missing and are believed to have been kidnapped.
The unharmed remaining crew sailed to shore to report the incident due to lack of network coverage at sea. The vessel has since docked at the Tema Fishing Harbour, where Marine Police and Naval Intelligence have begun investigations and confirmed the attack and suspected abduction.
Ghana has alerted neighboring countries through the ECOWAS Multinational Maritime Coordination Centre (MMCC) Zone F in Accra, under the Yaoundé Architecture, to assist in locating the kidnapped crew.
Brigadier General E. Aggrey-Quashie of the Ghana Armed Forces assured the public that intelligence agencies are actively working to locate and rescue the missing individuals.
The Ghana Navy is also collaborating with regional and international partners to combat piracy in Ghanaian waters.
