On Friday, it was learned that twelve Canadians who have been detained in the Dominican Republic since last spring are going home. The prosecutor in the case, West Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, submitted the necessary papers to release five airline crew members and seven passengers from Pivot Air, a Toronto-based company hired by the passengers to travel to the tropical island on March 31.

On April 5, while preparing to return the group to Canada, a Pivot Air mechanic discovered 8 rainproof bags hidden in the aviation electronics container in the belly of the plane and immediately reported it to local authorities, who found inside the bags 210 kilograms of cocaine. The crew's and passengers' passports were confiscated and they were detained in what they described as deplorable conditions in a Dominican prison.

In interviews with W5, the female passengers said their cell was so small and crowded that when they lay on the concrete to sleep, their feet extended beyond the bars. They also claimed they were punished for crying. As for the men's prison, the crew members said they spent days without food or water and were subjected to continuous threats.

The crew spent nine days in prison before being released on bail but were banned from leaving the country. Since their detention 250 days ago, the crew has been trapped in the Dominican Republic unable to leave while authorities claim to be investigating how the cocaine got onto the 50-seat plane. The crew and passengers also say the Dominican authorities never questioned them and no charges were ever filed against them.

Also, documents signed today defined the end of what is described as "coercive procedures," which means the arrest of the twelve Canadians and the seizure of the plane, though it is not clear how long it will take before the twelve Canadians can leave the country and return to Canada, and they were told that processing the papers could take up to two weeks.

In a joyful celebration at the safe home of Pivot Air, the crew members embraced each other and shouted in disbelief. In an emotional phone call to deliver the good news to his daughter, Rob Devinanzo, the captain of the pivot plane, said through tears: "Girl, I'm coming home."