Jamaica Observer PictureA Jamaica man hijacked a Canadian Airline, full of passengers at the Sangsters International Airport on Sunday! Yes, I was just as shocked as you, when I first heard this news. This is not possible, dem things yah nuh happen a Jamaica. A Jamaican, hijacking a plane, the hijack being done here on Jamaican soil? But, it is certainly true, as the Jamaica Gleaner, as well as CNN confirmed this shocking incident.
According to the reports, the gunman a 20 year old male from a Montego Bay community, allegedly of unsound mind, used fake ID cards to get into the airport terminal building. He then proceeded to the terminal where he threatened airport personnel before boarding the Canjet Airlines flight 918, which was destined to Cuba then on to Canada. It is reported that the gunman proceeded to rob the passengers and demanded that the plane transport him to Cuba. After negotiations, which involved our Prime Minister, Bruce Golding, and the hijacker's father, the hijacker released the 174 passengers and later the crew members. He was then captured and arrested by the police.
No doubt this latest incident with further tarnish Jamaica's reputation as we are already struggling with endless murders and being labeled as a severely homophobic country. Now we will be labeled as one of those countries that have airplane hijackers. A lot of countries have this, even the great USA, but when something like this happens to a country like Jamaica it seems even worse. However, the Jamaican government is reported to have started to do damage control on this situation. Hopefully this incident is as the airport official terms it, an "isolated and was clearly not a terrorist attack" and that everyone else who heard the news thinks so too. The least thing this ailing country needs now it a fallout from this incident.
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Sources:
http://go-jamaica.com/news/read_article.php?id=8205
http://go-jamaica.com/news/read_article.php?id=8206
http://go-jamaica.com/news/read_article.php?id=8207
http://go-jamaica.com/news/read_article.php?id=8209
http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/americas/04/20/jamaica.security/index.html
http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/html/20090420T090000-0500_149801_OBS_MONTEGO_BAY_HIJACKER_SURRENDERS_.asp
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