Somali pirates issue US$10m ransom demand for detained Chinese fishing boat crew

Chinese news outlets have reported that a group of pirates that seized a Chinese fishing vessel and its crew off the semi-autonomous Puntland region of Somalia in late November is now demanding a ransom of US$10 million in exchange for the release of the abducted sailors.

The calls for the ransom were issued at around mid-December, as confirmed by a Somali government official. However, this official spoke on the condition of anonymity, as they have not been cleared to discuss the matter publicly.

The crew are presently detained in Puntland's Xaafuun district, where they were brought after being forcibly removed their vessel.

German news channel DW had earlier said that the 18 hijackers also included the fishing vessel's embarked security personnel, who were reportedly working in conjunction with a local armed group.

The pirates also reportedly posted photographs of the abducted Chinese crewmembers on some social media sites. The photographs show the Chinese sailors surrounded by armed men on the deck of their fishing boat.

The European Union's Operation Atalanta naval task force had stated earlier that the incident was classified as an armed robbery at sea and that the pirates initially demanded US$5 million.