[Watch] 45YO Man Arrested After Claiming He Had Explosives On Board Malaysia Airlines Plane
The man, a Canberra resident, started praying loudly on the airplane aisle shortly after takeoff.
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A 45-year-old man has been charged by the Australian police after he allegedly claimed to have explosives on board a Malaysia Airlines flight MH122 from Sydney to Kuala Lumpur.
The Australian Federal Police said the man is charged with making a false statement about a threat to damage a plane and not complying with the cabin crew’s safety instructions.
The offences carry a maximum 10-year imprisonment and a fine of over A$15,000 (RM45,016).
What happened on Malaysia Airlines flight MH122?
The plane took off at 1.40pm yesterday (14 August), but was forced to return to Sydney and landed at 3.47pm without much incident.
According to reports, the man, said to be a Canberra resident, started praying loudly on one side of the aisle shortly after takeoff.
A passenger, Velutha Parambath, told 9News, said he and his family thought the man was praying for everyone on the flight.
However, he claimed the man also pointed to a black bag he had with him and allegedly said he had “a lot of power” and that he was “ready to do whatever it takes for Allah.”
In one of the videos, the man could be heard exclaiming loudly that he was “a humble slave of Allah” and asked someone else to say the same.
In another clip, the man said it hurts his heart after a passenger told him he was embarrassing and asked whether the man had a heart.
Penerbangan MH122 patah balik, polis Australia tahan penumpang lelaki
— MYNEWSHUB (@mynewshub) August 14, 2023
Kuala Lumpur: Polis Persekutuan Australia (AFP) menahan seorang penumpang yang didakwa mencetuskan 'gangguan' di dalam pesawat Malaysia Airlines MH122 semasa dalam penerbangan.
AFP dalam kenyataan media yang… pic.twitter.com/3Ky7lCSK28
Velutha praised the flight crew for doing a good job to placate the man and keep passengers as calm as possible. He said most passengers didn’t know what went on until they landed and saw some news headlines.
Despite the safe landing, there were questions about the length of time it took to evacuate all the passengers as the first passengers were finally evacuated at 6.30pm.
Nearly 200 passengers on board were not allowed to bring any luggage with them and were brought to an airport lounge where the police spoke with them.
After speaking to the police, passengers who were Sydney residents were allowed to go home while others were given vouchers for nearby hotels.
Malaysia Airlines said MH122 passengers would be transferred to the next available flight after obtaining clearance from the authorities.
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