Pirates Seize South Korean Fishing Boat Off Kenya
South Korea’s foreign ministry said in a statement Sunday that the crab fishing vessel Keummi 305 was hijacked October 9 near the Kenyan island of Lamu in the Indian Ocean.
It said the ship was carrying two South Koreans, two Chinese and 39 Kenyans.
The Yonhap news agency cites a South Korean living in Kenya as saying the trawler was taken to a Somali pirate stronghold, Harardhere. It is not known if negotiations for the ship’s release have begun, or if the pirates have issued any demands.
Somali pirates have made tens of millions of dollars hijacking ships for ransom over the past few years.
The European Union’s anti-piracy force, which confirmed the hijacking, says Somali pirates are currently holding 19 vessels, along with hundreds of crew members.
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