Kasaragod: Fazal Sheikh, 25, a sailor among 22 Indian Seamen held captive by Somalia pirates recently, had a joyous home-coming after their release this week.

3 Keralites including Fazal of Kanhangad,  reached their native place and homes on Wednesday, January 11.

Fazal was in a ship owned by M T Navigation Company of Italy on way to Singapore with crude oil stocks, when black pirates of Africa intercepted the ship near Yemen(Aden) and steered it towards African Somalia on 08-02-2011.

There were 22 crew members on board. When the ship approached Somalia, 40 more local pirates boarded the ship to help those already on ship.

A Mediatory meeting between ship management and pirates failed in its talks and detained crewmen faced threats of death. The pirates tortured the crew holding AK47 rifles, throwing empty liquor bottles and left-over food on them.

Captives had to clean up the ship. A ransom was paid on December 21, 2011 to release all crewmen. The company took them to the Headquarters in a special ship and gave safe passage home, Fazal informed at Mangalore airport.