Posted on 08/29/2002 11:00:51 PM PDT by BurbankKarl
Swedish Man Charged With Hijack Plan Thu Aug 29,11:41 PM ET By KIM GAMEL, Associated Press Writer
STOCKHOLM, Sweden (AP) - A 29-year-old man was charged with planning to hijack a plane after a handgun was found in his carry-on luggage as he prepared to board a flight, police said early Friday. Authorities were investigating if he had terrorist links.
The suspect, a Swedish citizen of Tunisian origin, was part of a group of 20 people traveling to an Islamic conference in Birmingham, England, according to police in Vaesteraas, 60 miles northwest of the capital, Stockholm.
Security officers at Vaesteraas airport found the weapon in a toiletries bag when they scanned the man's hand luggage on Thursday, police spokesman Ulf Palm said. The man lived in Stockholm but was not otherwise identified.
"We believe he was going to hijack the plane," Palm said.
Palm would not give details about a possible motive or the weapon, but he said authorities were investigating possible terrorist links.
"We can't rule that out and that is something we're looking into," he said.
The other members of the group — 18 adults and two children — were questioned for several hours at police headquarters but had been released and were not suspected of any crime, Palm said. No other details of the group were released.
"We are going to hold back on the information for the nearest future since this is now a criminal investigation," Palm said.
A hearing will be held in a few days to determine if the suspect, who also faced a secondary charge of illegal possession of a firearm, should be kept in police custody pending investigation.
Palm said the suspect was booked on a flight from Vaesteraas to Stansted airport outside London on Ryanair, a no-frills airline based in Ireland.
Several passengers who had already boarded the plane were evacuated while police searched the cabin and luggage compartment. The plane took off just before midnight Thursday.
Police would not say what type of gun was involved or whether it was loaded. Ryanair said 189 passengers were booked on the flight.
A charge of planning to hijack a plane could carry a sentence of six months to life in prison, Palm said.
Airports in Sweden, a Scandinavian nation of 8.9 million people, have tightened security since Sept. 11 attacks against the United States.
The man, a Swedish citizen of Tunisian origin, lives in the capital Stockholm. Police spokesman Ulf Palm said he was in a group of 20 going to the conference. Officials manning X-ray scanners spotted the pistol. It was not immediately clear what type of gun the man carried or whether it was loaded.
The flight, Ryanair FR685 to Stansted in Essex, was delayed while detectives questioned the other members of the group. They have now been released. Mr Palm said no one else was under suspicion. Several passengers who had already boarded the plane were evacuated. Police conducted a thorough search of the cabin and luggage compartment before it was cleared to depart for London.
The plane, a Boeing 737-800, eventually took off six hours late at 10pm carrying 189 passengers Travellers booked on the no-frills flight were given food and refreshments while they waited.
A Ryanair spokeswoman said last night: "Ryanair commends the prompt action and vigilance of the security staff at Stockholm Vasteras Airport.
"We are co-operating fully with the relevant Swedish Authorities. We apologise sincerely to our passengers for this delay, but safety and security is our number one priority." The Mirror (U.K.)
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