STOCKHOLM – Canadian police are investigating whether a phoned-in hoax caused a Pakistani jet to be diverted to Stockholm for several hours Saturday for fear that one of its passengers was carrying explosives.
Police evacuated 273 people from the jet, and briefly detained a Canadian man, after an anonymous caller in Canada tipped-off authorities that the suspect was carrying explosives.
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However, no explosives were found on the man, who was released after questioning by police, or on the Boeing 777 from Pakistan International Airlines, which had been bound from Toronto to Karachi, Pakistan.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police said it was investigating whether the incident was a “terrorism hoax.”
“If the information is deemed to be a hoax, the person who passed along that information can be charged for public mischief,” said spokeswoman Sgt. Julie Gagnon in Ottawa.
All passengers — except the suspect — were allowed back on the plane at Stockholm’s Arlanda airport nine hours later.
It took off for Manchester, England, from where the passengers would continue their journey to Karachi, said Jan Lindqvist, a spokesman for airport operator Swedavia.
Swedish police described the suspect as a Canadian citizen born in 1982. Initially they said he was of Pakistani background but later said they were not sure.
A spokesman for the state-owned Pakistan International Airlines said the suspect was a 25-year-old Canadian national.
A prosecutor decided to release the man after questioning, and police were trying to help him continue his journey to Karachi either late Saturday or today, police spokesman Erik Widstrand said, adding the man had cooperated with investigators.
“He was calm but irritated,” Widstrand said.
The pilot asked to land the plane in Stockholm after Canadian authorities said they received a tip-off by phone the man was carrying explosives. Passengers were told there was a technical problem with the aircraft and didn’t find out the real reason until they were on the ground, Widstrand said.
A SWAT team detained the suspect as he was evacuated from the aircraft along with the other passengers.
The tip was “called in by a woman in Canada,” police operation leader Stefan Radman said, adding that Swedish police took the threat seriously.
Royal Canadian Mounted Police spokesman Sgt. Marc LaPorte said an anonymous caller called twice Friday saying a man on the flight had explosives.
“The first call provided vague information. It did lay out that there was an individual on that specific flight in possession of explosives and then the second call provided more details with regards to the identity of the person,” LaPorte said.
He declined to elaborate on the caller, saying there was potentially a criminal offense involved.
“On its face” it appears someone had an ax to grind against the man, LaPorte said, but he could not elaborate on the possible motive.
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