Greek man arrested over alleged plot to hijack Emirates airliner at Karachi airport

October 4, 2009

A Greek man was arrested at Jinnah International Airport in Karachi after he allegedly tried to smuggle a handgun hidden in his laptop onto an Airbus A330-200.

Annkhus Sarzio was due to travel with his mother on Emirates flight EK 605, returning to his homeland in Athens, Greece via Dubai. When they tried to pass through airport security, scanning equipment detected a 9mm handgun concealed in the battery casing of Sarzio's laptop.

Sarzio claims in preliminary investigations that he bought the handgun in Karachi. He says he is a businessman involved in carpets and that he had been staying in the city for at least a month.

Security officials registered the case against the accused at a local police station; the suspect's mother has not been detained although initially she was arrested. According to The News International, Sarzio may have links with international terrorist groups and airport officials say this could have been an attempt to hijack the airplane.