New Zealand law enforcement was directed by the government to conduct an investigation on its own after it was confirmed that the flydubai co-pilot Hamam al-Hammamim, accused of trying to crash an Israel-bound plane, underwent flight training in the country.
As the probe tries to piece together the entire picture that led to the failed hijacking bid, the fact that Hamam al-Hammami spent about a year in New Zealand after he abandoned a degree in Australia has become a detail too big to ignore. While it was not mentioned where in New Zealand Hamam lived, it was declared that he was being trained by a UK-based company.
New Zealand Police on Tuesday confirmed that the 29-year-old Omani man was in the country on a student visa for 175 days while undergoing flight training. The department confirmed that Hamam al-Hammami was in the country from 30 November 2018 to 23 May 2019, The Guardian said in a report.
The focus of the Wellington-authorised probe will be Hamam's time in the country—activities and associates included. The outcome is expected to aid the ongoing multi-party investigation, which is yet to confirm whether he acted alone or not. Clarifications are still needed regarding his background, journey to radicalisation, and intentions behind the attack bid.
“Police can confirm the co-pilot was in New Zealand to complete a portion of his flight training for a UK-based company, no longer operating in New Zealand,” The Guardian quoted a senior New Zealand Police officer as saying in a statement.
The United Arab Emirates and Israel are both investigating the incident. The Ministry of Interior of Saudi Arabia, where the plane made an emergency landing, is also conducting investigations.
Sources familiar with the case told Australian media that the co-pilot was issued a student visa in 2014 and studied in Australia between 2015 and 2017 before leaving the country.
His visa was cancelled in 2019, the ABC reported, adding that the cancellation was not on character grounds but because he was no longer enrolled in a course and therefore no longer eligible for a student visa. The UAE, which is leading the investigation, said on Saturday that its probe had revealed the co-pilot attempted to carry out a "terrorist act".
