A representative of Vietnam Airlines in Japan on February 17 confirmed that Japanese police had arrested a suspect who threatened to shoot down a passenger plane of the airline in January.

Earlier, local media reported that the Chiba prefectural police had seized a 17-year-old boy in Yamagata prefecture on suspicion of forcible obstruction of business.

Japan's Sankei Shimbun quoted local police as saying that the incident occurred at around 10:55 am on January 5 when the Japan branch office of Vietnam Airlines received a threatening phone call. The boy called from his home in Yamagata prefecture and claimed he was “going to shoot down” Flight VN5311, so the pilots “should turn the plane around.”

The aircraft, which was on its way to Hanoi, made an emergency landing at Fukuoka Airport to conduct a safety check. The incident caused the flight a delay of around three hours and 40 minutes.

The boy emerged as a suspect after police traced the phone number and he was arrested on February 15. Police said the boy has admitted making the phone call, adding that the boy has a mental disability.

Source: VNA

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