Home / Crime and Justice / Student radicalized in Melbourne fueled plane hijack attempt
Student radicalized in Melbourne fueled plane hijack attempt
10 Oct
Summary
- Co-pilot radicalized while studying at RMIT in Melbourne.
- He was influenced by extremist literature and online content.
- Al-Hammami drew inspiration from 9/11 attacks for his plot.
The co-pilot involved in an attempted aircraft hijacking on a flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv was reportedly radicalized while studying in Australia. Hammam al-Hammami, a 29-year-old Omani national, allegedly told prosecutors that his extremist ideology developed during his time at RMIT University in Melbourne.
According to the UAE attorney general, al-Hammami was exposed to takfiri ideology through reading extremist materials and online content that glorified terrorism. He was inspired by the 9/11 attacks, leading to a firm belief in carrying out a similar operation. He allegedly prepared himself psychologically and physically for the plot.
RMIT University confirmed he studied there but did not complete an engineering qualification. Australian security agencies have launched an investigation into his approximately two-year stay in the country as a student until 2017.
