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Two Maldivian Pilots Arrested for Alleged Coordination with Hamam Al-Hammami
An investigation into an attempted terror plot on a Flydubai flight to Israel has expanded to focus on a potential conspiracy among pilots to secure specific route assignments. Two Maldivian co-pilots have been detained for 12 days on suspicion of coordinating flights to Israel with the main suspect, Hamam Al-Hammami, who is also referred to as Al-Mahmi or Al-Khamami. Investigators are also examining whether the main suspect helped the two co-pilots secure their employment with the airline.
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What happened
- 01Two Maldivian Flydubai co-pilots have been detained for 12 days on suspicion of coordinating flights to Israel with terror suspect Hamam Al-Hammami.
- 02Investigators are examining whether Al-Hammami assisted the two co-pilots in securing their employment with Flydubai to facilitate access to specific routes.
- 03The Maldivian Embassy in the UAE confirmed the arrests of the two co-pilots, who lived in the same building as Al-Hammami.
- 04The detained co-pilots are currently denied access to their families and lawyers, with only limited contact permitted for embassy representatives.
- 05Al-Hammami claims he acted alone in the plot to crash a plane, but investigators continue to search for potential accomplices.
- 06Investigations suggest Al-Hammami's beliefs were influenced by a mosque with suspected Muslim Brotherhood ties during his time in Melbourne, Australia.
The Maldivian Embassy in the UAE confirmed the arrests to the families of the co-pilots. The two detained co-pilots, who lived in the same building as the main suspect, are currently denied access to their lawyers and families, and have limited contact with embassy representatives. Flydubai employs six pilots from the Maldives, with the two arrested individuals being the most recent hires.
While the main suspect claims he acted alone in the alleged plot to crash a plane, investigators are exploring the possibility of a broader scheme of coordinated infiltration into the airline's flight crew. Additionally, investigations into the background of the main suspect suggest he lived for an extended period in Melbourne, Australia, where his beliefs were reportedly influenced by a mosque accused of ties to the Muslim Brotherhood.
Summarized by baba from the reports of 3 newsrooms. Updated
Latest report: i24NEWS Arabic. Read i24NEWS Arabic’s original
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Two Maldivian Pilots Arrested for Alleged Coordination with Hamam Al-Hammami