Pakistan-origin man arrested for making bomb threats aboard Malaysia Airlines flight

A 45-year-old Pakistani-origin man aboard a Malaysia Airlines flight has been charged for allegedly threatening to blow up the plane during a flight from Sydeny to Kuala Lumpur.

The accused, identified as Muhammad Arif, a resident of Canberra, was arrested by the airport authorities afterMalaysia Airlines flight MH122 was forced to return to Sydney, three hours after the flight had taken off. According toAustralian Federal Police (AFP), Arif claimed to have explosives on him which set panic among the plane passengers.

According to news agency AFP, Arif wascharged with making a false statement about a threat to damage an aircraft and failing to comply with the cabin crew’s safety instructions. If convicted, he faces a maximum prison sentence of 10 years and a fine of over $7,300.

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Arif was a nuisance from the start: Passengers

Even before the plane took off, Arif caught attention of the majority of the 199 passengers on board by praying out loud. While not many minded his actions at the time, his antics continued to grow ludicrous afterwards.

“At that point, we just thought he was praying for everyone. People just generally had a laugh," said a passenger.

Videos of Arif being a nuisance during the flight have gone viral on social media platforms. One of the clips shows him sitting in the airplane's aisle on a prayer mat and bowing to pray, much to the inconvenience of his fellow passengers.

“Are you a slave of Allah,” one of the passengers can be heard asking him.

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30 minutes into the flight, Arif started pushing and shoving passengers, whilst implying that he had explosives in a backpack.

“I don’t think he specifically said ‘bomb.’ But he was carrying his bag and he said, ‘I’ve got power in my arms’,” added the passenger.

His threats forced the pilots to hit the brakes and return to Syndey. The airport authorities escortedthe flight to the isolated end of a runway whileflight attendants stayed with the man and the passengers moved to a separate part of the aircraft.

Notably, after being arrested, Arif refused to leave his police cell on Tuesday (August 15) to be produced before the magistrate. The matter was repeatedly adjourned while lawyers attempted to talk sense to Arif.

“I have tried to see him.But he has refused to come out of his cell," Mostafa Daoudie, his lawyer, told the court.

Meanwhile,magistrate Greg Grogin said:“They will have to extract him if he is to come before the court.”

(With inputs from agencies)

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