Australian intelligence agencies are checking the background of Flydubai co-pilot suspected of trying to take control of the plane

Australian intelligence agencies are investigating the background of a Flydubai co-pilot suspected of attempting to hijack a plane while he was training in Australia.

The pilot received a student visa in 2014, studied in Australia from 2015 to 2017, after which he left the country, and in 2019 his visa was canceled.

MOSCOW, October 4 – RIA Novosti. Australian intelligence agencies are checking the background of a Flydubai co-pilot suspected of attempting to hijack a plane while he was training in Australia, ABC reported, citing the Australian Federal Police (AFP).

The investigation is being led by Victoria's joint counter-terrorism team, which includes the Australian Federal Police, State Police and the Australian Security Intelligence Service (ASIO).

According to ABC sources, the man received a student visa in 2014 and studied in Australia from 2015 to 2017, after which he left the country. In 2019, his visa was canceled because he was no longer enrolled in any training courses. The TV channel notes that this decision was not related to security issues.

Investigators intend to find out whether he was radicalized during his stay in Australia.

On Wednesday, a Flydubai plane flying from Dubai to Tel Aviv signaled an emergency and a short time later made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia. The airline later confirmed that a fight broke out between the pilots during the flight.

Later, information appeared in the media that one of the pilots injured the second and wanted to cause a plane crash. This information was confirmed to RIA Novosti by passengers on that flight.