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Police Release Man in Pakistani Plane Incident


Two anti-terrorist policemen (C) secure one of the passengers as a Pakistan International Airlines Boeing 777 is evacuated at Stockholm Arlanda International airport, 25 Sep 2010
Two anti-terrorist policemen (C) secure one of the passengers as a Pakistan International Airlines Boeing 777 is evacuated at Stockholm Arlanda International airport, 25 Sep 2010

Swedish police have released a man held in connection with a bomb threat aboard a Pakistani airliner that was diverted to Stockholm early Saturday.

Swedish police say the Pakistan Airlines flight carrying 273 people had left Canada for Pakistan. The flight was diverted to Sweden after Canadian police received a tip from a woman caller saying that a passenger was carrying explosives on the flight from Toronto to Karachi.

The plane was evacuated and searched and a man described as a Canadian national of Pakistani origin was detained and questioned.

No explosives were found and, after several hours, the plane was allowed to resume its flight to Pakistan. Police say the man was released without being charged, but not until after the plane had departed.

Canadian police say they are now investigating the incident as a possible hoax.

Police did not identify the detained man, but said he was not on any international terrorism watch lists.

Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.

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