Egyptian hijacker-320 detained, there were no injuries – RIA Novosti

.

MOSCOW CAIRO ATHENS, March 29 – RIA Novosti History with the release of the captured Egyptian A320 seems to be completed: the hijacker forced shrunken in Larnaca Liner airport apprehended, according to the Cypriot Channel “Sigma”. Explosives, the suspect was not there, he was arrested, the airport reopened. However, what happened is still a lot of unknown, and the full picture of what happened has yet to recover.

The arrest hijacker confirmed the official representative of the government of Cyprus Nikos Hristodulidis. Airbus A320-232 aircraft on EgyptAir Egyptian airline, flying domestic flight MS181 from Alexandria to Cairo, was captured Tuesday morning unknown and made an emergency landing at the airport of Larnaca in Cyprus. According to preliminary data, the hijacker threatened to blow up the crew and passengers of a suicide belt if its demands are not met. Later, after the suspect has been neutralized, the media reported that he was not armed, but is in an unstable mental state. On board the ship were 72 people, among them not only the Egyptians but also citizens of other countries, none of them was hurt.

The identity thief

It was originally supposed that the aircraft captured the Egyptian Ibrahim Samaha, who may also have US citizenship, he reported news portal “Youm7″ citing sources in Alexandria airport. According to available information, Samaha native of Alexandria, but she worked as a veterinary surgeon in the United States. According to others, he is a professor at the University in Atlanta. However, his wife Samah denied that her husband had seized the plane, explaining that he himself became a hostage and the kidnapper was released. As reported by Egyptian media reports citing the press service of the Prime Minister, the Egyptian authorities have apologized to Professor Samaha. “We apologize to Mr. Ibrahim Samah, because his name mistakenly been associated with the situation around the aircraft,” – said in a statement

Later, an Egyptian TV channel “ON TV” reported, citing sources in power. Egyptian security that hijackers is a citizen Safe al-Din Mustafa. Arabic satellite channel “Al Arabiya” showed photos captured Egyptian plane Safe al-Din Mustafa in a suicide belt.

In the photo blond man with glasses standing in the open light jacket. Under unbuttoned shirt seen wrapped around the body and filled with objects of cylindrical shape cloth wide belt from which protrude wire.

Shortly before the hijacker was arrested, he demanded immediate refuel board fuel, and said he was going to fly Turkey, told the satellite channel Sky News Arabia, citing sources in EgyptAir airlines. At that time, on board the captured ship remained 8-9 people, including the crew and several passengers, foreigners.

Despite the fact that the name of the alleged hijackers are already named, there is nothing reliable is known about his personality, so the media began to appear in different versions. According to the news portal newsit.com.cy, people, seized 320 aircraft is a former officer in the Egyptian army. In turn, the newspaper “Fileleftheros” writes that the hijacker – a former employee of the Egyptian security forces. According to RIA Novosti senior source in the Egyptian authorities, Safe al-Din Mustafa previously held by the accused on charges of fraud and forgery of documents.

The motives and demands

According to the information Egyptian media, a hijacker could be guided by personal motives: in Cyprus, according to some, is home to his ex-wife – a citizen of Cyprus, whose name is transferred to the country’s authorities. It is, according to some reports, he gave her indirectly from aboard the aircraft captured letter, written on four pages in Arabic. However, this information was published in the media when the liner is still considered an invader Ibrahim Samaha. Then the police confirmed that the former wife of the thief actually live in Cyprus and is a citizen of that country

“Women -. His ex-wife, their four children, she lives in Larnaca A man 59 years old Female Cypriot, she.. sent to the airport, it is probably already arrived there, “- reported to the police statement, the agency received Sputnik

Later, the Cypriot television channel RIK reported that ex-wife of alleged hijacker of an Egyptian airliner A320 was delivered at Larnaca airport.. Television showed a woman in the car was taken to the airport. The car stopped a few dozen meters from the aircraft.

In addition, it was reported that the hijacker Egyptian aircraft for the release of hostages demanded “to release from prison a few women prisoners.” According to RIA Novosti senior source in the Egyptian government, prisoners who require safe to release al-Din Mustafa, “are relevant to the case of the funding of foreign NGOs.” The interviewee said that the authorities “will not satisfy the requirements of the thief”.

The negotiations with the hijackers conducted through an airplane pilot. Previously, he, according to media reports, asked for an interpreter and demanded to withdraw police forces from Larnaca airport, which was tied reinforced police forces, the coach of “first aid”.

In addition, the television channel Sky News Arabia said, that aircraft invader seeking asylum in Cyprus. According to the channel, the suspect initially demanded to put an airliner in Turkey, but he refused, citing a lack of fuel in the tanks of aircraft.

Exemption

Once the hijacker released about 50 passengers on board were still a few people, including the crew and passengers of foreign. The Government of Cyprus demanded the journalists to stop live broadcast from the airport and off. Media have linked it with the preparation of special operations for the release liner. Soon, the hijacker was arrested and the Cyprus Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced the completion of the operation.

None of the passengers of passengers and crew members seized an airliner, was not injured. This was stated by the Minister of Civil Aviation of Egypt Sherif Fathy. “The passengers and crew are safe ship, no one was hurt,” – the minister told journalists

At the moment we are questioning the suspect, said government spokesman Nikos Hristodulidis television RIK

“The most important thing.. that all 72 people who were on the plane, okay now the authorities interrogated aviapirata. “-. Hristodulidis said

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Cyprus, according to Agence France-Presse reported on the” unstable “mental state, seizure of aircraft.

a government spokesman confirmed that the hijacker demanded to transmit a packet with a letter of his ex-wife. “During the negotiations there were other requirements now is translating the letters to find out his specific requirements and motives of action.” – Hristodulidis said

Until finally clear, the citizens of any country other than Egypt, visited the hostage. hijacker.

safety

due to the state of emergency all Egyptian airports were transferred to work in enhanced security mode, said with reference to the statements of the news portal “Al-Qahira” sources in the Ministry of Internal Affairs and minaviatsii country.

Larnaca Airport was closed for nearly seven hours. After the story of the hijacking, he resumed work already arrived the plane from Moscow, reported Cyprus News Agency.

Even before it became known about the release of the ship and arrest the thief, there were reports that explosives on board captured the Egyptian aircraft has been detected A320. In particular, it gave Haaretz newspaper referring to Cypriot sources.

As reported by RIA Novosti source in the security service of the Alexandria Airport Burj Al Arab, the possibility to smuggle explosives into the pre-flight zone Airport Burj Al Arab in Alexandria, Egypt excluded due to several stages of screening.

According to the Egyptian TV channel oN-TV, the Egyptian hijacker A320 aircraft has passed a thorough inspection of the airport Alexandria Borg al-Arab before boarding. The TV channel showed footage of one of the airport surveillance cameras, which can be seen as it passes through the metal detector frame, after which the police officer inspect it manually. The TV channel also said that during the inspection of a passenger behaved calmly.

Later, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Cyprus Ioannis Kasoulides told reporters that the explosives have hijacker A320 was not. According to him, for the explosives aviapirat gave the mobile phone cases. The Minister also said that the hijacker surrendered after the Cypriot government rejected his request to refuel the aircraft for the flight to Istanbul.