The Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service has confirmed the arrest of four individuals in connection with the abduction of three Chinese crew members from a Ghanaian-flagged fishing vessel attacked by pirates off the coast of Tema in late March.
The incident occurred on the evening of Thursday, March 27, 2025, when seven armed men stormed the vessel, MV Mengxin 1, around 5:53 p.m. The assailants fired warning shots and forced some crew members to lock themselves in a secure area.
They reportedly remained onboard for nearly three hours, confiscating mobile phones and rounding up the crew before departing. Upon emerging, the crew discovered that the ship’s Captain, Chief Mate, and Chief Engineer—all Chinese nationals—were missing.
Without mobile network coverage at sea, the remaining crew members sailed closer to shore before reporting the incident. The ship eventually docked safely at the Tema Fishing Harbour, and initial interrogations by the Marine Police and Naval Intelligence confirmed the abduction.
At a press briefing held at the CID Headquarters on May 6, Director-General of the CID, DCOP Lydia Ayaako Donkor, revealed that the abducted crew had been taken by sea to Nigeria, where they were held captive in a remote area before being abandoned. They later found refuge in a nearby village and contacted the Chinese Embassy in Lagos, which confirmed their rescue on April 26 in Delta State.
DCOP Donkor stated that the police, working in collaboration with the Ghana Navy, Marine Police, National Investigations Bureau, Ghana Maritime Authority, and other relevant institutions, launched an extensive investigation immediately after the report was filed on March 28.
So far, four suspects have been apprehended and charged. Among them are Clever Victor, Kwabla K. Eugene, and a crew member identified as the vessel’s second engineer.
All suspects have been arraigned before the Tema courts.
The incident triggered swift regional cooperation, with information shared through the ECOWAS Multinational Maritime Coordination Centre (MMCC) Zone F in Accra to alert neighbouring countries. Investigations continue, with security agencies in both Ghana and Nigeria coordinating efforts to dismantle the network responsible for the kidnapping.
