IPNEWS: The Ministry of National Defense-Armed Forces of Liberia, through the Liberian Coast Guard has apprehended a pirate vessel in Liberia’s water rescuing twenty-three crew members.

According to a statement from the AFL high command, the Armed Forces of Liberia also made three pirates arrest during a special Maritime Interdiction Operation (MIO) from July 23rd to 24th 2023, following a piracy alert by the Sierra Leone Navy.

The operation was carefully coordinated by the Headquarters Armed Forces of Liberia and executed by the Liberian Coast Guard lasted for 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.

The office of both the Minister of National Defense and the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of Liberia has expressed gratitude to members of the Coast Guard Unit for expeditiously executing the operations.

Major General Prince C. Johnson stated the AFL remains a force for good amidst security concerns within the sub-region, especially piracy.

He said 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 which continue to affect the social and economic well-being and undermine national security.

The fishing vessels F/V Aliman and F/V Shenghai-2 were attacked by pirates offshore of Sierra Leone and Liberia International waters.

The pirates had hijacked and taken away one of the fishing vessels F/V Shenghai2.

The special Maritime Interdiction Operation was carried under the direction of Headquarters Armed Forces of Liberia using two boats for the operation and eleven sailors that lasted for twenty-four hours with an intense search for the seized vessel close to the Liberia-Sierra Leone International maritime borders.

The vessel was pursued from the border towards Monrovia about nine nautical miles offshore King Gray Community, Roberts Field Highway as the Liberia Coast

Guard tactically engaged the vessel at position 06o 07’ N, 010o 47’ W when the Coast Guard Station Buchanan Response Team apprehended the pirates while trying to escape towards the Southeast.

The Liberian Coast Guard upon order, initiated actions to secure the vessel by 1200hrs by conducting force boarding and securing the lower deck of the vessel which led the pirates to commence suppressive fire on the Liberian Coast Guard Special Operations team leading to swift response that overwhelmed the pirates capturing three.

Weapons captured from the pirates include four pieces (one Winchester, and 3 assault weapons).