Nine crew members were abducted after armed attackers boarded a fishing vessel operating off Gabon in the early hours of 9 January 2026, according to maritime security alerts and official statements from Gabonese authorities.
The incident occurred approximately 7 nautical miles off the coast near Cocobeach, within Gabonese territorial waters. Reports indicate that three armed individuals approached the vessel in a small craft, boarded, and removed selected crew before fleeing the area.
Crew details
The abducted crew are reported to include five Chinese nationals and four Indonesian nationals. The remaining crew stayed on board and the vessel was later escorted to port in the Libreville area under naval supervision.
No injuries were reported during the boarding. Authorities have not released details on the attackers’ identities or direction of escape.
Response
Gabonese naval forces responded following the alert and secured the vessel. Follow-up operations are reported to be ongoing as part of efforts to locate the abducted crew and disrupt pirate activity in the area.
Maritime context
The incident reinforces the continued kidnap-for-ransom risk in parts of the Gulf of Guinea, where attacks often occur close to shore and target vessels with limited speed and protection. Fishing vessels have historically been among the first targets during periods of renewed pirate activity, with implications for broader maritime security assessments in the region.
The Deep Draft 
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