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« on: April 20, 2009, 09:28:40 AM »
Jamaican Police Storm Airliner to Capture Gunman
By HOWARD CAMPBELL, Associated Press Writer Howard Campbell, Associated Press Writer – 55 mins ago
KINGSTON, Jamaica – A gunman forced his way though airport security onto a Canadian jet near Montego Bay, holding six crew members hostage for eight hours before police and soldiers stormed the aircraft on Monday and captured him.
Nobody was killed or injured in the ordeal, which ended with a raid after talks broke down with a 20-year-old Jamaican gunman described as "mentally challenged."
"We were getting nowhere with the negotiations," Jamaican Information Minister Daryl Vaz told The Associated Press. "Police and military went on the plane and captured him."
The suspect identified as Stephen Fray was in custody. Vaz said he is a "mentally challenged" 20-year-old man from the northwestern resort city of Montego Bay. He did not detail the man's mental condition but said he was apparently upset over a failed relationship.
The hostage crisis that began around 10:20 p.m. Sunday and ended near 6:40 a.m., when members of the Jamaica Defence Force Counter Terrorism Operations Group stormed the aircraft's cabin, according to a police statement.
The young man boarded CanJet Airlines Flight 918 in Montego Bay and demanded to be flown to Cuba, Vaz told The Associated Press. The plane had arrived from Halifax, Nova Scotia, and was scheduled to stop in Santa Clara, Cuba, before returning to Canada.
A total of 159 passengers and eight crew members were aboard the Boeing 737 at the time, according to Jamaican police. Police said all the passengers and two crew members were released after a short time.
The hostage talks failed despite the involvement of the Fray's father and two brothers, who helped to get him talking before negotiators reached a dead end, Vaz said.
At least one passenger said the hijacker fired a warning shot after boarding the plane.
Alphonse Gosselin, whose 30-year-old son Christian was on the plane, said his son told him that the hijacker pointed a gun at him and other passengers. Christian and his girlfriend were among a group of 22 family members traveling to Cuba for a wedding.
"The first thing that he said to his girlfriend was, 'Be calm. Don't say a word.' He said take your passport and your credit card and put it in your back pocket. He said we'll give him the money," Gosselin said in an interview from Tracadie Sheila, New Brunswick.
All the passengers were Canadian, Woodside said.
Passenger Brenda Grenier told the Canadian television channel CTV Newsnet that the gunman became agitated when a security guard came aboard and approached him, Grenier said. She said he ordered the pilot off the plane and shot his gun.
"That's when we all got very, very scared and people were crying and praying and we were just really frightened for all of our lives. There were children on the plane."
Grenier said a flight attendant had the idea to try to buy their freedom from the hijacker.
"We all took our money and we just, like, left our purses and our passports and everything just in the plane because we didn't want to take any chances. We just put the money in a bag and we ran out of the plane."
Jamaican Prime Minister Bruce Golding addressed all the passengers after they were debriefed by police, according to the police statement.
The passengers were taken to a hotel, Vaz said. CanJet planned to fly another aircraft to Montego Bay to return the passengers to Canada, Woodside said.
"It's a most unfortunate situation, but I can say the passengers are happy to be alive," Vaz said. "This whole experience has been very traumatic for them."
CanJet Airlines said 174 passengers were expected on the flight, but some apparently were not aboard by the time of the hijacking.
Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, who was in Jamaica for a one-day visit, called Golding and "congratulated him for the successful resolution," Harper spokesman Dimitri Soudas said.
The charter airline is owned by Halifax-based IMP Group Ltd., according to CanJet's Web site.
Jamaican National Security Minister Dwight Nelson said the airport is expected to reopen Monday morning.
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KINGSTON, Jamaica, April 20, 2009 - Seven hours after hijacking a Canada-bound plane on the tarmac of Jamaica's Sangster International Airport, a gunmen has released his hostages and surrendered to police.
None of the eight crew members or the 159 passengers on board the CanJet plane at the time of the hijacking was hurt, but some of them reported that money had been taken from them.
A government statement confirmed that around 6:40 am, members of the Jamaica Defence Force Counter Terrorism Operations Group entered the cabin of the aircraft and effected a tactical resolution, disarming a man identified as Stephen Fray of Montego Bay and rescuing the hostages on board.
"The hijacker is in police custody and is scheduled to be interviewed while crew members are being debriefed and will be provided with counselling and medical services," the release said.
The man's family and friends assisted soldiers and police in negotiating the release of the hostages.
Minister without Portfolio in the Office of the Prime Minister with responsibility for Information, Daryl Vaz had earlier said the man, in his 20s, has "mental challenges". The motive for his actions has not yet been ascertained.
Fray had forced his way through security check points at the airport around 10:20 last night and boarded CanJet flight number 918 destined for Halifax, Canada. The chartered flight had a scheduled stop in Santa Clara, Cuba.
He initially held everyone on board, but after a short while released all the passengers and two crew members. The released passengers were debriefed by police and taken to a hotel.
Prime Minister Bruce Golding went to the scene in the early hours of this morning after hearing news of the hijacking.
Vice President and General Manager, CanJet Airlines Kent Woodside said the airline was relieved that the authorities were able to bring the situation under control without anyone being hurt.
"Obviously we were extremely concerned for the well-being of everyone involved in this incident. Our priority is now to provide comfort and support to the passengers and crew who were involved in this ordeal. The crew who were being held are receiving medical attention as a precaution," he said in a statement issued soon after the hijacker was taken into custody.
"The security and safety of our passengers and crew are our top priority. We will continue to do all we can to help the authorities who are investigating the apparent breach of security at the airport that led to this incident."
"We would also like to thank the security authorities in Jamaica and Canada, including the RCMP (Royal Canadian Mounted Police). And we're extremely grateful for the assistance of the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Prime Minister's Office," Woodside added.
The airline has indicated that a plane will travel to Montego Bay later this afternoon to take passengers and crew on to Santa Clara or back to Canada, should they choose to return home.
Meantime, Vaz has indicated that the government would reimburse those passengers who lost money during the ordeal.
"We have taken down their names, the amount of monies that they lost and the government of Jamaica is committed to make sure that they leave here with everything that they came with," he said, describing the situation as "most unfortunate".
"This is not something we are accustomed to and in a sensitive time like this with what is happening in the world, any little thing that can throw us further into the recession and depression that we are in, we take very seriously," he added.
The incident occurred as Canada's Prime Minister Stephen Harper visited the island. He arrived yesterday and was scheduled to address a special joint sitting of Parliament today as well as hold talks with Prime Minister Golding on a range of issues ,including the global economic crisis, the impending negotiations toward a free trade agreement between the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and Canada, and Canada's assistance in the implementation of the Justice Reform Programme.
Harper is due to leave the island tomorrow.
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