New Zealand police probes flydubai hijacker's time spent in island country - report
Additionally, the New Zealand Herald reported that Captain Smit Machchhar, the Indian pilot whom Hammami attacked aboard the flydubai flight, had trained in the island country.
New Zealand police are probing the time spent by flydubai co-pilot Hammam al-Hammami in the country, as per a report by the New Zealand Herald on Monday. Assistant Commissioner Michael Johnson stated that police are investigating the co-pilot's stay in New Zealand, alongside other agencies, but no further comments can be made at this time.
Captain Smit Machchhar, the Indian pilot who Hammami attacked, had trained in New Zealand's Mainland Air from 2008 to 2009, maintaining a relationship as an India-based recruitment agent. Mainland Air's CEO Philip Kean confirmed Machchhar's training with the airline but stated that they do not perform stabbing training. Kean also mentioned that the other pilots performed well in recovering the airplane, and a message was sent to Machchhar, who was recovering in a hospital.
Australian law enforcement is conducting a security investigation into Hammami's links to the country, with a focus on determining if he underwent ideological radicalization during his stay. Hammami, an Omani citizen, was in Australia on a student visa from 2015 to 2017 before the hijacking incident.
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