Helicopter hijacking set in motion in Belgium to liberate woman | Abroad

The helicopter was hired on the pretext of a scenic flight to take photos. When booking, the suspects asked for a large helicopter, suitable for six people and a pilot with a lot of experience. But en route, the 36-year-old pilot was forced to fly to the women’s ward of the prison of the Brussels municipality of Forest under threat of a weapon.

The pilot refused and a skirmish ensued in the helicopter. The helicopter circled above the prison a few times. Because the aircraft could not land in the courtyard of the prison, a course was set for Flemish Brabant.

The helicopter landed in a field near a carpool parking on the N80 and the three suspects fled. The three hijackers had since disappeared. The pilot flew on, accompanied by a police helicopter, to Melsbroek airport, where she was received by the police.

The breakthrough in the investigation into the suspects came late Saturday night, the prosecution said. The main suspect, a 24-year-old man from Tongeren, could be arrested near Brussels. He was in the company of his 50-year-old adoptive father. Not much later, the two co-suspects could also be arrested in Belgian Limburg. It concerns a man of 18 from Bilzen and a man of 22 from Lanaken.

Motive

In the meantime, there is also more clarity about the motive. The main suspect had planned to free his wife.

The four suspects must appear before the investigating judge in Antwerp during the day.

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