Three armed men hijacked a helicopter in Antwerp on Friday, after which the pilot was forced to fly above the women’s prison in Berkendael (Forest), among other things. However, the helicopter could not land there. The three hijackers fled after landing at a carpool parking in Hélécine. The pilot is questioned.
The helicopter was booked months ago to supposedly take aerial images of Brussels. During take-off in Deurne, the female pilot was threatened with a weapon and forced to fly above the prison of Vorst. As a distraction attempt, the hijackers had called the prison in advance that a helicopter would fly over for a report.
The chopper flew over the prisons of Forest, the women’s ward of Berkendael and the prison of Saint-Gilles, but could not land there. Because the aircraft hung low above the prisons for a long time, it attracted attention, after which the flight continued. Landing was possible at a carpool car park in Hélécine (near Sint-Truiden) and the perpetrators fled. The pilot flew on to Melsbroek airport, where trace evidence was conducted. It is still unclear which prisoner had to be released.
Why has this helicopter, which has been circling over Brussels for hours, just pass over the roofs of Forest prison? pic.twitter.com/nNNsm99zZU
— Maroun Labaki (@MarounLabaki) September 25, 2020
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