The Maltese-flagged MV Centauri which docked in Mombasa on Tuesday night bore bullet marks on one of the cabins as a result of gunfire as pirates stormed it.
The ship with a crew of 26 fell in the hands of hijackers on Sept. 18 as it transited 200 nautical miles off Somali shoreline. It was released on Nov. 27 with the crew members safe.
However, it was not immediately clear whether any money was paid to secure her release from the pirates. "We have interrogated the ship's master but he was not clear on any ransom," Port Policechief John Nyanzwii said.
He said there are 14 pirates armed with AK 47 rifles who were operating in shifts guarding the ship. Catalino Burigsay, 36,who has been a seaman for only a year, said it was his first experience with pirates.
The crew members earlier spent the day happily, hoping to get to Mombasa in three days. "When we heard the shots, we knew pirates were already on board. It was scaring because they huddled us together and threatened to kill us if we did not cooperate," the father of three told the Daily Nation newspaper.
Seamen can spend years on board a vessel without seeing their family members. Chief cook Joland Besana, who left his wife expecting their now six-month-old daughter, said: "I could not imagine dying without seeing my daughter."
He left home on Nov. 1, last year, and the girl was born months after he left. During his 13-year career, the 35-year-old had not fallen into the hands of pirates.
"I used to hear of hijacks, but had never experienced it. But I kept praying we all get home safely," he said, adding: "When they captured us, they demanded our mobile phones and money."
He said seamen had learnt to hide valuables when approaching dangerous areas, as was the case with Besana who hid his gold ring and started wearing it only after the pirates started being friendly. "But they took it days before we were released."
Briefing journalists after police completed investigations, Nyanzwii said the captain did not disclose whether a ransom was paid.
The vessel registered in Malta has a dead weight tonnage of 19,555 tons and is carrying 15,500 metric tons of salt.
It was sailing to Mombasa from Asmara in Eritrea when it was hijacked about 200 nautical miles off Somali waters, and had been held captive for 71 days. It was released last Friday, November 28
During the past weeks, Somali pirates have seized nine vessels, including a huge Saudi tanker carrying 100 million U.S. dollars worth of crude oil.
This high profile case has outraged the maritime industry and the international community which have called for joint action against piracy.
This year there have been more than 90 attempts at capturing ships by pirates in the Gulf of Aden, 39 of which have been successful, according to maritime organizations.
