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Ghana collaborates with neighbours to search for two Koreans kidnapped at sea

Two South Korean nationals have been kidnapped in Ghanaian waters after their vessel was hijacked by pirates

Ghana’s security agencies have launched an investigation into the kidnapping of two South Korean nationals in Ghanaian waters.

The security agencies are collaborating with counterparts in Benin, Togo and Nigeria to find the pirates behind the abduction.

The captain and chief engineer of the fishing vessel AP70, both South Koreans, were kidnapped on 28 August on Ghana’s high seas.

The vessel was attacked by pirates who seized all the crew’s property and then abducted the duo.

Asaase Radio gathers that the heavily armed pirates however left behind 49 other crew members, all Ghanaians, who were also on board the fishing vessel.

[The attackers] ordered all the crew to come to the deck and asked them to lie down. They ransacked the vessel, collected the electrical equipment, their phones, laptops, but [the crew] were not beaten, said the crime officer of marine police in Tema, Superintendent Felix Asare.

Danger in the Gulf of Guinea

Piracy and armed robbery have been rampant in the Gulf of Guinea in recent years, with many falling victim to the attacks.

At least ten separate piracy attacks were recorded off Ghana’s coast between 2015 and 2019.

In the recent attack, about eight pirates accosted the vessel using a speedboat before hijacking and taking control of it.

The pirates subsequently moved the vessel about 106 nautical miles across the border into the exclusive economic zone of Togo. They then took away the two Koreans, leaving behind the Ghanaians.

The incident is said to have happened at roughly 7.35am.

Rescue mission

Meanwhile, the various security services in Ghana, Togo, Benin and Nigeria are collaborating to rescue the two Koreans.

The hostages are believed to have been taken by the pirates to the Niger Delta of south-eastern Nigeria.

Asaase Radio learned that the Korean Embassy in Ghana and the owners of the vessel, BSK Marine, are also involved in efforts to negotiate the release of the hostages.

“The navy has tasked all forward operating bases to conduct coastal patrol to locate the pirates and the kidnapped crew, while another vessel has been dispatched to conduct a search with the Benin navy ship along the Nigeria-Benin border,” a statement from the naval security services said.

The abduction comes after another Ghanaian fishing vessel was hijacked in Beninois waters and its crew members kidnapped in June.

Five Koreans and one Ghanaian were taken hostage during the attack. The victims were released just three weeks ago.

Asaase Radio 99.5 – tune in or log on to broadcasts online.
Follow us on Twitter: @asaaseradio995
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