Pirates who hijacked a Chinese fishing vessel with its 18 crew members off the Somali coast in November are asking $10 million in ransom, in exchange for the vessel and the crew, per a Somali official.
The pirates have shared pictures of the kidnapped crew held hostage by the armed men on the deck of the ship, taken to Xaafun district in the semi-autonomous state of Puntland.
The security guards of the ship have joined hands with the pirates. A Somali Government Official said that the ship got its fishing licence from Puntland in 2020 but it had expired.
The official spoke on the condition of anonymity since he was not allowed to openly discuss the issue and did not go into details regarding the ransom.
The incident has been classified as robbery at sea by EU’s Anti-Piracy naval force, Eunavfor Atalanta.
This hijacking incident shows the ongoing maritime security challenges faced by shipping in Somalian waters. Somalia has been the hotbed of piracy for many years, with incidents peaking in 2011 when the U.N. says over 160 attacks were recorded off the coast of Somalia.
Incidents declined a few years back but piracy seems to have resurfaced again as Red Sea Shipping suffers due to Houthi Attacks, forcing ships to take a longer route around Africa.
References: Hindustan Times, AP News
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