Three Chinese fishing boats have been hijacked by North Korean gunmen who are suspected to be part of Pyongyang’s military.

A Chinese media outlet quoted a boat owner who said that he witnessed a small-sized North Korean military vessel approaching the Chinese fishing boats.

However, the exact name of the North Korean institution that hijacked the boats has not been identified. The border police in China’s Liaoning province said they were in contact with the North Korean captors but declined to comment further on the matter.

According to the owners of the seized fishing vessels, the hijackers asked for 900-thousand yuan in ransom and warned that if they do not receive the money, they will sell off the boats and get rid of the kidnapped sailors.