Somali pirates raise ransom demand for captured Chinese crew to $10m

A Chinese fishing vessel hijacked by Somali pirates in 2008. 

Photo credit: File | Reuters

Pirates holding a Chinese-owned fishing vessel off Somalia’s northeast coast have increased their ransom demand to $10 million, a sign of their bargaining power in the troubled waters.

The vessel, the Liaoning Daping 578, is believed to have a crew of 18, according to the European Union’s anti-piracy naval force, Eunavfor Atalanta.