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MISSION ACCOMPLISHED: Liberia Coast Guard Rescues 23 Crew Of Hijacked Chinese Fishing Vessel & Arrests Pirates

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Off Monrovia’s Coast

Two Pirates who hijacked a Chinese fishing vessel have been arrested, weapons seized and 23 crew members rescued by the Coast Guard of the Armed Forces of Liberia off the Atlantic coast of Monrovia, the AFL disclosed on Tuesday, July 25, 2023.

A press statement from the Defense Ministry published on its Facebook page said: “The pirates had hijacked and taken away one of the fishing vessels F/V Shenghai2. On receipt of the information, the Liberia Coast Guard Maritime Operation Center immediately commence continuous monitoring and coordination with Sierra Leone.”

Major Gen. Prince C. Johnson, AFL Chief of Staff

The special operation was conducted from July 23-24, 2023.

Below is full text of the Defense Ministry statement:

AFL LIBERIA COAST GUARD APPREHENDED A PIRATE VESSEL ON LIBERIAN WATER RESCUE 23 ALONG WITH TWO PIRATES.

JULY 25, 2023

Republic of Liberia

Ministry of National Defense

UN Drive, BTC

1000 Monrovia, 10, Liberia, West Africa

Armed Forces of Liberia Operation against Pirates Attack on a

Chinese Fishing Vessel SHENGHAI-2PRESS KIT

25July2023

Ministry of National Defense-Armed Forces of Liberia.

Ladies and gentlemen of the press, on behalf of the Honorable Minister of National Defense and the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of Liberia, we are very much pleased to welcome you to this press conference.

Security within the sub-region of West Africa has been challenged over the years with a rise in terrorism, insurrection, human and drug trafficking, and maritime crimes.

These crimes affect our social and economic wellbeing and undermines national security.

The Armed Forces of Liberia through the Liberian Coast Guard conducted a special Maritime Interdiction Operation (MIO) fromJuly 23rd to 24th 2023, following a piracy alert reported by the Sierra Leone Navy. The operation was carefully coordinated by Headquarters Armed Forces of Liberia executed by the Liberian Coast Guard lasted for about twenty-eight hours on the water and subsequently continued after the seized

vessel was brought to harbor at the Liberian Coast Guard Base on Bushrod Island.

The seized vessel had twenty three crew members on board when it was taken over by approximately eight pirates. Among the crew members,there are six Chinese and seventeen Sierra Leoneans.

Headquarters Armed Forces of Liberia was alerted on 23 July 2023,at about 0800hrs through a signal message from the Sierra Leone Navy Joint Maritime Operation Center about an incident of piracy in the Sierra Leonean Water. The message indicated that “2 fishing vessels F/V Aliman and F/V Shenghai-2 were attacked by pirates/robbers at a specified position 08o 22’ N, 013o 32’ W off the shore of Sierra Leone on 22 July 23.

The pirates had hijacked and taken away one of the fishing vessels F/V Shenghai2.On receipt of the information, the Liberia Coast Guard Maritime Operation Center immediately commence continuous monitoring and coordination with Sierra Leone and 1 Cote d’Ivoire Navies to facilitate possible response. After hours of monitoring and surveillance, the Liberian Coast GuardMaritime Operation Centerspotted the alleged pirates, vessel crossed over to Liberia from Sierra Leone.

By 1300hrs 23 Jul 23, the LCG launched the special Maritime Interdiction Operation (MIO). The Liberia Coast Guard Maritime Operation Center under the direction of Headquarters Armed Forces of Liberia detailed two boats for the operation and eleven sailors. After about twelfth hour of an intense search for the seized vessel, the special operation team of the Liberian Coast Guard spotted the suspected vessel ata distance close to the Liberia-Sierra Leone International maritime borders.

The vessel was pursued from the border until it got to the general area of Monrovia about nine nautical miles offshore King Gray Community, RobertsField Highway. The Liberia Coast Guard physical contact with the vessel for tactical reasonsby 0000hrs on 23rd July 2023 while keeping surveillance on the vessel at position 06o 07’ N, 010o 47’ W. Subsequently, Liberia Coast Guard Station Buchanan Response Team was activated to patrol to deter and apprehend pirates escaping to the Southeast.

The Liberian Coast Guard upon order, initiated actions to secure the vessel by 1200hrs by conducting force boarding and securingthe lower deck of the vesselwhichled the piratesto begin suppressive firing on the Liberian Coast Guard Special Operation team.

whose response overwhelmed the pirates that led three pirates to launcha life raft to escape the vessel leaving one pirate to be captured and two crew members rescued.

After a few hours of negotiations for the remaining pirates to surrender failed, they held the breach for hours with the remaining crew members under hostage the special operation team broke into the breach apprehended the second pirate, and rescued the remaining 21 crew members. 3 armed pirates ran into hiding compartments.

The vessel was secured, brought to port,and the clearing continue up to this morning.

Preliminarly, the following are accounted for; Rescued Crew Members-23 (6 Chinese and 17 Sierra Leonean Nationals).

  1. Pirates Apprehended during the operationas last night: 2

c.Weapons Captured.4 pieces(one Winchester, reportedly 3 assault weapons).

  1. Hijacked Vessel.F/V Shenghai 2.

THANK YOU LADIES AND GENTLEMEN FOR YOUR KEEN ATTENTION. THE

ARMED FORCES OF LIBERIA REMAIN COMMITTED TO SERVING THE PEOPLE

OF LIBERIA AS MANDATED BY THE CONSTITUTION OF THE REPUBLIC OF

LIBERIA AND THE NATIONAL DEFENSE AC.

 

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