Algeria aircraft hijacker wore dates bomb belt

The man who hijacked an Algerian aircraft had judicial antecedents in forgery and drugs for which he had been expulsed from Germany, Italy and Norway, investigators find.

• In March 2008, the suspect tried to hijack a Boeing 737-800 of Air Algerie on its way to the province of Tindouf (south of Algiers) from Algiers. He was wearing a bomb belt and ordered the aircraft’s staff to transfer the flight to Spain.
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• Investigators found that the belt was made of dates and power cables. He has sent death warning messages in the name of armed terrorist groups to many officials including the interior minister, the national police chief, a lawyer and a police officer.
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• The psychologist who examined the suspect said he suffers from behaviour troubles but “he has a strong memory and a large general culture.”
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• “He had been planning to hijack the aircraft for two months,” she added.
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• According to a second mental expertise, the suspect “has no mental troubles and he is partially responsible for his actions.”