Brazilian man held captive by family for up to 20 years, rescued by cops

Guarulhos, Sao Paulo: Brazilian police rescued a man who was locked up and held captive by his family for up to 20 years. He was rescued from the city of Guarulhos, north east of Sao Paulo.

According to a report in the Independent, the man was rescued from a house during an anti-drug raid.

Identified as Armando Bezerra de Andrade, 36, the victim was said to be a student who was often abused and beaten by his step-mother, before he suddenly disappeared.

Police said that he had to be carried to the hospital after being rescued as he was unable to talk.

They also said that the room in which the victim was kept was very shabby and consisted of only one bed and a dirty little toilet.

The bed on which the victim had to sit, sleep and rest the whole day during his 20 years of captivity. (Photo: YouTube Screengrab)

The investigation took a different turn when the victim's father turned up at the police station claiming that he was the one who locked up his son in the room because he was told to and that his son was a drug addict. He told the police that his son himself had told his father to lock him up so that he wouldn't buy drugs.

"This is my son, that house is mine, and I was the one who locked him in there, as he had asked me to. He is a drug user and he showed up at home after being gone for many years, he showed up at home and asked me to lock him up so he wouldn't buy drugs," the victim's father said.

Authorities said that they will be now be investigating whether the victim took drugs or medicines, said a report.