SYDNEY: A 45-year-old man was charged on Tuesday after disrupting an international flight from Australia to Malaysia.
According to a statement by the Australian Federal Police (AFP), the Canberra resident faces charges for making false statements about threats to damage a Division 3 aircraft and failing to comply with the cabin crew’s safety instructions, reported Xinhua.
The offences carry a maximum penalty of 10-year imprisonment and a fine of over 15,000 Australian dollars (about US$9,727), respectively. The man is expected to appear in Downing Centre Local Court also on Tuesday.
A Malaysia Airlines flight left Sydney at about 1pm local time bound for Kuala Lumpur on Monday but was forced to turn back to Sydney International Airport at 3.45 pm local time due to the passenger on board.
“During the flight, the male passenger allegedly became disruptive and claimed to have explosives on board. The AFP arrested the man without incident,” said the federal police. – BERNAMA-XINHUA
