It came out of the blue, just hours after the EU announced it was going to withdraw ships patrolling the Mediterranean for migrants attempting the perilous voyage.
A group of 108 migrants were rescued by a merchant vessel off Libya but upon learning they were going to be re-routed back to Tripoli, five men decided to take matters into their hands.
The six crew members sought help from the Libyan coast guard, but it rejected them, saying it was "out of service".
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They landed in Malta on Thursday morning. The men who overpowered the crew were arrested, while some of the migrants went down on their knees and kissed the ground.
Read: Five arrested as overpowered ship stormed by AFM, arrives in Malta