Pirates who hijacked a Chinese-owned fishing vessel with 18 crew members off the northeastern coast of Somalia last month demanded a $10-million ransom, according to AP News.
The vessel was hijacked in late November and taken to Xaafuun district in the semi-autonomous state of Puntland, where it was being held with the captives. A Somali government spokesman reported that Puntland had granted the vessel a fishing licence in 2020, but the licence expired.
European Union anti-piracy naval force Eunavfor Atalanta classified last week’s incident as a “robbery at sea.”
The hijacking underscored persistent maritime security issues in Somali waters, plagued by piracy for years. It peaked in 2011, when more than 160 attacks were recorded off the coast of Somalia, according to the UN.
