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| Police defend 90-minute delay to remove passengers in Melbourne plane drama | Police defend 90-minute delay to remove passengers in Melbourne plane drama |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| Police say the delay in removing passengers from a Malaysia Airlines flight forced to turn back to Melbourne after a passenger tried to enter the cockpit was necessary because counter-terrorism officers believed there may have been other potentially threatening passengers on the flight as well as explosive devices. | Police say the delay in removing passengers from a Malaysia Airlines flight forced to turn back to Melbourne after a passenger tried to enter the cockpit was necessary because counter-terrorism officers believed there may have been other potentially threatening passengers on the flight as well as explosive devices. |
| Flight MH128 departed from Melbourne airport at 11.11pm, local time, and was turned back shortly after a 25-year-old man carrying a plastic bag containing a bluetooth speaker slightly larger than an iPhone allegedly attempted to enter the cockpit. | Flight MH128 departed from Melbourne airport at 11.11pm, local time, and was turned back shortly after a 25-year-old man carrying a plastic bag containing a bluetooth speaker slightly larger than an iPhone allegedly attempted to enter the cockpit. |
| Victoria’s police commissioner, Graham Ashton, told reporters on Thursday flight staff had a conversation with the passenger, who then moved away from the cockpit area and was subdued and detained by several passengers. | Victoria’s police commissioner, Graham Ashton, told reporters on Thursday flight staff had a conversation with the passenger, who then moved away from the cockpit area and was subdued and detained by several passengers. |
| “At that point he was essentially trussed up,” Ashton said. “So, upon becoming aware of the incident, because of the nature of the incident, it was initially treated as a counter-terrorism incident, so counter-terrorism response protocols kicked in at that point. So for us that meant having the plane isolated and getting passengers off the plane safely, and dealing with the alleged offender. | “At that point he was essentially trussed up,” Ashton said. “So, upon becoming aware of the incident, because of the nature of the incident, it was initially treated as a counter-terrorism incident, so counter-terrorism response protocols kicked in at that point. So for us that meant having the plane isolated and getting passengers off the plane safely, and dealing with the alleged offender. |
| “Comments were [allegedly] made by the offender around blowing the plane up … so we are following up on that as well. So decisions had been made about what was the safest way to get passengers of the plane. For us we have to make sure all possibilities are taken into account, including the possibilities of co-offenders, or, if there was an explosive device, the possibility of there being other explosive devices where the sudden removal of the passengers could cause difficulty.” | “Comments were [allegedly] made by the offender around blowing the plane up … so we are following up on that as well. So decisions had been made about what was the safest way to get passengers of the plane. For us we have to make sure all possibilities are taken into account, including the possibilities of co-offenders, or, if there was an explosive device, the possibility of there being other explosive devices where the sudden removal of the passengers could cause difficulty.” |
| It took 90 minutes for police to enter the plane after it had landed and apprehend the man. | It took 90 minutes for police to enter the plane after it had landed and apprehend the man. |
| “There’s been some commentary this morning I saw about the time it took to get passengers of the plane,” Ashton said. | “There’s been some commentary this morning I saw about the time it took to get passengers of the plane,” Ashton said. |
| “So once we were satisfied we were dealing with one [person] and device that was looking increasingly unlikely to be an explosive device, the decision was made to get the passengers off, and that was done. I think that entire time was about 90 minutes but certainly appreciate, when you are on a plane in that situation, one minute can seem like an hour. | “So once we were satisfied we were dealing with one [person] and device that was looking increasingly unlikely to be an explosive device, the decision was made to get the passengers off, and that was done. I think that entire time was about 90 minutes but certainly appreciate, when you are on a plane in that situation, one minute can seem like an hour. |
| “I understand if you are on a plane in that situation, it could seem like a long wait, in particular with a lot of unknowns. Those unknowns, we were trying to respond as safely as possible for all the passengers and crew on board ... There were 337 passengers on that plane, plus crew, and we could have had avery serious incident. | “I understand if you are on a plane in that situation, it could seem like a long wait, in particular with a lot of unknowns. Those unknowns, we were trying to respond as safely as possible for all the passengers and crew on board ... There were 337 passengers on that plane, plus crew, and we could have had avery serious incident. |
| “That was avoided through having a proper approach to getting the passengers off.” | “That was avoided through having a proper approach to getting the passengers off.” |
| He added that, if the incident had occurred in the US or Europe, “they’d probably still be on the plane now”. | He added that, if the incident had occurred in the US or Europe, “they’d probably still be on the plane now”. |
| Ashton reiterated that the incident was not terrorism-related. The alleged offender was a 25-year-old Sri Lankan national living in the Dandenong area 30km south-east from Melbourne’s central business district, who was studying catering. He was holding current visa. | Ashton reiterated that the incident was not terrorism-related. The alleged offender was a 25-year-old Sri Lankan national living in the Dandenong area 30km south-east from Melbourne’s central business district, who was studying catering. He was holding current visa. |
| He had been released from psychiatric care from the Monash Medical Centre on Wednesday. | He had been released from psychiatric care from the Monash Medical Centre on Wednesday. |
| “From there, we believe he has purchased a ticket on this plane having been released from that facility, and then got out to the airport and on that plane last night,” Ashton said. | “From there, we believe he has purchased a ticket on this plane having been released from that facility, and then got out to the airport and on that plane last night,” Ashton said. |
| “He was assessed overnight to be fit for interview on psychological grounds and we received clearance not long ago that we could interview him, so that interview is taking place now.” | “He was assessed overnight to be fit for interview on psychological grounds and we received clearance not long ago that we could interview him, so that interview is taking place now.” |
| He was likely to appear before Melbourne’s magistrates court later on Thursday. | He was likely to appear before Melbourne’s magistrates court later on Thursday. |
| “He is being interviewed in relation to commonwealth offences, so at this stage an interview is being done by both federal police and Victorian police officers,” Ashton said. | “He is being interviewed in relation to commonwealth offences, so at this stage an interview is being done by both federal police and Victorian police officers,” Ashton said. |
| He is being interviewed in relation to section 22 of the Crimes and Aviation Act, which addresses threats and false claims, and section 24 of the Crimes Aviation Acts, which addressed endangering safety of an aircraft. Both carry a maximum of 10 years in prison. | He is being interviewed in relation to section 22 of the Crimes and Aviation Act, which addresses threats and false claims, and section 24 of the Crimes Aviation Acts, which addressed endangering safety of an aircraft. Both carry a maximum of 10 years in prison. |
| Asked whether airport security should have detected the speaker device and barred it from being allowed on the plane, Ashton said people took hand-held entertainment devices on to planes every day. | Asked whether airport security should have detected the speaker device and barred it from being allowed on the plane, Ashton said people took hand-held entertainment devices on to planes every day. |
| “I would have thought they would be something that would not raise a flag but, having said that, it’s more a question, perhaps, for the airport security people.” | “I would have thought they would be something that would not raise a flag but, having said that, it’s more a question, perhaps, for the airport security people.” |
| The Victorian premier, Daniel Andrews, supported the police in their response. He also praised passengers who assisted airline staff and detained the man. But he urged people against stigmatising people with mental illness, saying; “We need to be careful ... and it is more complex than it might seem at first. | The Victorian premier, Daniel Andrews, supported the police in their response. He also praised passengers who assisted airline staff and detained the man. But he urged people against stigmatising people with mental illness, saying; “We need to be careful ... and it is more complex than it might seem at first. |
| “I think we want to be very careful not to be driving people away from getting the care they need. | “I think we want to be very careful not to be driving people away from getting the care they need. |
| “[I] thank every single passenger for their patience and you can imagine how traumatic that would have been to go through that experience. That’s why this morning my department have reached out to Malaysia Airlines to offer any additional counselling support. | “[I] thank every single passenger for their patience and you can imagine how traumatic that would have been to go through that experience. That’s why this morning my department have reached out to Malaysia Airlines to offer any additional counselling support. |
| “Anything we can do to support them in their efforts to support passengers and crew, we stand ready to do that.” | “Anything we can do to support them in their efforts to support passengers and crew, we stand ready to do that.” |
| A statement from the Australian Federal Police reiterated that passengers could not be moved from the plane until it was safe to do so. At all times the safety and security of the passengers and crew was the primary focus, the AFP said.The statement, issued just before 3pm, confirmed the man had been charged with endangering the safety of an aircraft and making threats or false statements. | |
| • In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is on 13 11 14. In the US, the National Suicide Prevention Hotline is 1-800-273-8255. In the UK, the Samaritans can be contacted on 116 123. Hotlines in other countries can be found here | • In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is on 13 11 14. In the US, the National Suicide Prevention Hotline is 1-800-273-8255. In the UK, the Samaritans can be contacted on 116 123. Hotlines in other countries can be found here |