Hijack on Ryanair foiled
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Hijack on Ryanair foiled
from the BBC
A man has been charged with trying to hijack a Ryanair flight from Stockholm to Stansted, outside London, after allegedly being caught trying to board the plane with a gun.
More people may be implicated
Ulf Palm
Police spokesman
Swedish police say the man - who was born in Sweden to Tunisian parents - was with a party travelling to an Islamic conference in Birmingham, central England.
Security officers say they found a handgun in a toiletries bag when they scanned the 29-year-old man's hand luggage at Vasteras Airport, west of Stockholm.
"We believe he was going to hijack the plane," police spokesman Ulf Palm said.
He said that alternative charges of illegal possession of firearms were being considered, but he refused to say whether the gun was loaded.
The man is now being questioned by police, and can be held for up to four days before he is brought before a prosecutor.
Links probe
Swedish authorities are investigating possible terrorist links.
"We don't want to reveal much information, at least for now. More people may be implicated," said Mr Palm.
The suspect has previous convictions for theft and assault, Mr Palm added.
However, unidentified security officials quoted by the Swedish TT news agency said they believed it was more likely the man was a disturbed individual who was acting alone.
He was travelling with a group of 18 adults and two children, all apparently bound for the same conference.
Police said they denied being members of any organisation.
They were released in the early hours of Friday morning, and Mr Palm said he understood they were planning to travel to the UK later in the day, or on Saturday.
Passengers ordered off
All 189 passengers were ordered to leave the aircraft and were delayed as bomb squad officers carried out a thorough search of the Boeing 737-800.
The security was very good and I think it was good a thing like this happens so you know that security really works
Ryanair passenger
One of the passengers, Elin Deremborg, said: "We all got on the plane then the crew came around and said, 'We have got a group of people on the flight we don't feel secure with'.
"Everyone had to get off the plane."
The flight had been scheduled to leave Stockholm at about 1500 BST.
The Ryanair flight eventually took off from Stockholm at about 2245 BST and landed at Stansted at 0045 BST.
Ryanair said in a statement that it commended the vigilance of the Stockholm security staff at Stockholm Vasteras Airport, and that it was co-operating fully with the relevant Swedish Authorities.
After arriving at Stansted, one of the passengers told the BBC that there was a "spirit of camaraderie" on board.
Passengers said they were relieved to see that security measures had been effective.
"I used to be very scared of flights so this was the first flight that I had not been scared at all.
"The security was very good and I think it was good a thing like this happens so you know that security really works," said one woman.
The BBC's John Sudworth
"Ryanair air says it praises the prompt action and vigilance of the Swedish security staff"
Swedish police spokesman Ulf Palm
"The investigation has only just started"
A man has been charged with trying to hijack a Ryanair flight from Stockholm to Stansted, outside London, after allegedly being caught trying to board the plane with a gun.
More people may be implicated
Ulf Palm
Police spokesman
Swedish police say the man - who was born in Sweden to Tunisian parents - was with a party travelling to an Islamic conference in Birmingham, central England.
Security officers say they found a handgun in a toiletries bag when they scanned the 29-year-old man's hand luggage at Vasteras Airport, west of Stockholm.
"We believe he was going to hijack the plane," police spokesman Ulf Palm said.
He said that alternative charges of illegal possession of firearms were being considered, but he refused to say whether the gun was loaded.
The man is now being questioned by police, and can be held for up to four days before he is brought before a prosecutor.
Links probe
Swedish authorities are investigating possible terrorist links.
"We don't want to reveal much information, at least for now. More people may be implicated," said Mr Palm.
The suspect has previous convictions for theft and assault, Mr Palm added.
However, unidentified security officials quoted by the Swedish TT news agency said they believed it was more likely the man was a disturbed individual who was acting alone.
He was travelling with a group of 18 adults and two children, all apparently bound for the same conference.
Police said they denied being members of any organisation.
They were released in the early hours of Friday morning, and Mr Palm said he understood they were planning to travel to the UK later in the day, or on Saturday.
Passengers ordered off
All 189 passengers were ordered to leave the aircraft and were delayed as bomb squad officers carried out a thorough search of the Boeing 737-800.
The security was very good and I think it was good a thing like this happens so you know that security really works
Ryanair passenger
One of the passengers, Elin Deremborg, said: "We all got on the plane then the crew came around and said, 'We have got a group of people on the flight we don't feel secure with'.
"Everyone had to get off the plane."
The flight had been scheduled to leave Stockholm at about 1500 BST.
The Ryanair flight eventually took off from Stockholm at about 2245 BST and landed at Stansted at 0045 BST.
Ryanair said in a statement that it commended the vigilance of the Stockholm security staff at Stockholm Vasteras Airport, and that it was co-operating fully with the relevant Swedish Authorities.
After arriving at Stansted, one of the passengers told the BBC that there was a "spirit of camaraderie" on board.
Passengers said they were relieved to see that security measures had been effective.
"I used to be very scared of flights so this was the first flight that I had not been scared at all.
"The security was very good and I think it was good a thing like this happens so you know that security really works," said one woman.
The BBC's John Sudworth
"Ryanair air says it praises the prompt action and vigilance of the Swedish security staff"
Swedish police spokesman Ulf Palm
"The investigation has only just started"
