The navy said on Friday that a court in Lagos sentenced ten individuals to 12 years in jail for kidnapping the crew of a Chinese-flagged commerce vessel last year, a decision that officials believe would help combat piracy in the waters off Nigeria’s coast.

Justice Ayokunle Faji of the Federal High Court in Abuja fined each man 250,000 naira ($608) for each of the three counts they were charged with, saying their actions in kidnapping 18 crew members from the FV HAILUFENG II in May 2020 were “an embarrassment to the nation that has negatively impacted the economy.”

The guys would file an appeal, according to the defence attorney. The hijacking came to an end when the navy announced that the ship’s crew had been rescued and the pirates had been apprehended.