MV Suez Crew returned Home after being held Captive for 1o months by Somali Pirates

Six Indian sailors, who were among the 22-member crew of MV Suez held captive by Somali pirates for nearly 10 months, reached Karachi on 23 June 2011.

The cargo vessel crew, including 11 Egyptians, four Pakistanis and a Sri Lankan, received an emotional welcome when Pakistani naval ship PNS Zulfiqar carrying them docked at the Karachi harbour. The Indian sailors were received by Suhail Izaz Khan, counsellor from the Indian high commission in Islamabad.

The Egyptian-owned ship was hijacked by Somali pirates in August 2010. The pirates released the ship and the crew after a $2.1 million ransom was paid to them by a Pakistani organization, the Ansar Burney Trust, named after the known human rights activist and former minister.

The MV Suez sank after being stranded for days just few kilometres away from an Oman port. It ran out of fuel and the crew had to abandon it.