At least five crew members onboard a fishing vessel near Ghana’s harbour city, Tema have been allegedly kidnapped by suspected pirates, top security sources disclosed.

The fishing vessel was attacked on Wednesday 19 May 2021 around 6pm, Asaase News can confirm.

According to eyewitnesses, the vessel was approached by a skiff with eight persons onboard.

Five of the alleged armed pirates then seized the vessel for close to six hours, disembarking with five crew members including the captain, chief officer, second chief officer, chief engineer and boatswain’s mate.

“They also stole belongings and valuables of the crew,” a security source told Asaase News.

Piracy in West Africa

According to the International Chamber of Commerce’s International Maritime Bureau (IMB), in the first six months of 2020 at least 49 crew were kidnapped for ransom in the Gulf of Guinea and held captive on land for up to six weeks.

Thirty-two seafarers were kidnapped between March and June 2020. These attacks are now taking place further out from shore, with about two thirds of the vessels affected being attacked on the High Seas from between 20 to 130 nautical miles off the Gulf of Guinea coastline.