Shenghai 2 hijacked by pirates off Liberia
On 23 July, the Shenghai 2 called for help. The Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) in Monrovia warned of an act of maritime piracy off the coast of Liberia.
The chinese fishing vessel had twenty-three crew members on board when it was hijacked by eight pirates.
The Commandant Birot, a French navy warship in the area, carried out the identification and marking of the fishing vessel. This enabled it to provide useful intelligence to maritime security partners in the area (MRCC Monrovia and COM Sierra Leone).
On the evening of the 23rd, the Shenghai 2 entered Liberian territorial waters. This enabled the Liberian Coast Guard to intervene on the 24th.
They led three pirates to launch a life raft to escape from the ship. This resulted in the capture of one pirate and the rescue of two crew members.
As the remaining pirates refused to surrender, a special operation was launched by Liberia to rescue the remaining twenty-one crew members.
