Bosnian Seized After Hijacking Jet
BERLIN — A knife-wielding Bosnian refugee facing deportation hijacked an Austrian Airlines plane Tuesday but was disarmed by Berlin police commandos who secretly boarded the plane and pushed him out an open door. No one aboard was hurt.
Police said the 39-year-old man, whose permit to live in Germany was to expire next Tuesday, fell about 21 feet to the tarmac at Berlin’s Tegel Airport, where he was overpowered and detained.
The Bosnian seized the flight from Berlin, carrying 28 passengers and five crew members, as the plane was approaching Vienna.
After pulling out a 10-inch-long knife and a 14-inch baton, he stormed to the front of the aircraft and into the cockpit. He told the pilot that his demands were a residency and work permit in Germany, authorities said. The plane then returned to Berlin.
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