Accused EgyptAir Hijacker Caught on Video Going Through Airport Security Before Boarding Flight
Officials tweeted the name of the suspected hijacker as Seif Eldin Mustafa.
— -- The man accused of hijacking an EgyptAir flight today was caught on video as he went through security at Alexandria’s Borg El Arab Airport in Egypt before boarding the plane.
The video from the Egyptian Interior Ministry shows the man, identified by the Foreign Ministry of Cyprus as Seif Eldin Mustaf, walk through the metal detector as a security official watches.
The security official then pats down the alleged hijacker's arms and legs.
The alleged hijacker then picks up a small bag off the conveyor belt and continues on his way.
The man had a “suicide vest” that contained no explosives -- just mobile phone cases made to look like a suicide belt, according to the Cyprus Foreign Ministry.
The hijacker had wanted to fly to Istanbul, but the plane did not have enough fuel so he opted for Larnaca International Airport in Cyprus, ministry spokeswoman Margarita Kiriakou said.
When the plane landed there, the suspected hijacker initially released everyone but the captain, his co-pilot, a flight attendant, a security guard and three passengers.
The hijacker decided on his own to release all but those seven, Kiriakou said.
The hijacker had several demands including speaking with his former wife who lives in Larnaca. Police brought her to the airport and "they spoke for a while," Kiriakou said.
Officials said the hijacking was not terrorism but may have been motivated by a personal issue.
The man believed to be responsible for the hijacking was arrested and EgyptAir tweeted that all the hostages were released.
"He will be kept in custody and legal procedures will follow," Kiriakou said.
White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough said today, "We are constantly looking at threats to airline traffic."
"Each one of these incidents gives us an opportunity to learn better what we can do better for the next opportunity,” he said. “We'll be talking to our friends and colleagues in Egypt, in Cyprus and elsewhere to make sure they're doing all they can as well.”
