Ghanaian officials say still no trace of missing Chinese fishermen three weeks after alleged abduction

Officials in Ghana have confirmed there is still no trace of the three Chinese fishermen who were allegedly kidnapped by pirates late last month.

The missing seafarers include the captain, the chief mate, and the chief engineer of the Ghana-registered fishing vessel Mengxin 1, which the Ghanaian military said was boarded by seven armed perpetrators in the late afternoon (local time) of March 27.

An official had said earlier that the remainder of the crew went into hiding shortly after the suspected pirates fired warning shots as they came on board.

The remaining crew emerged from hiding around three hours later after the suspected pirates departed the vessel along with the three officers as their hostages.

The perpetrators has also reportedly taken the crew's mobile phones.

Captain Ebenezer Kwame Yirenkyi, Ghana Navy Director of Operations, said that there were still no tangible leads that could otherwise identify the perpetrators or where the hostages are being held.

Yirenkyi nonetheless assured that the investigation is still ongoing and that the necessary steps are being taken to secure the release of the kidnapped sailors.