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Revealed: Afghan plane hijacker is now working as a cleaner at Heathrow
Last updated at 15:07pm on 17.05.08
Afghan hijacker Nazamuddin Mohammidy
Police arrested Nazamuddin Mohammidy at Terminal 5 where he showed his British Airways pass allowing him access to secure areas.
The Tories said it was a breathtaking breach of security and demanded immediate action from the Government.
Mohammidy, 34, was one of nine Afghans who won the right to live in Britain after hijacking a passenger flight in Afghanistan in 2000. The Boeing 727 was flown to Stansted in Essex where the captors threatened to kill the 160 passengers unless they were granted asylum.
The gang was jailed but later released and given the right to remain in Britain rent-free, receiving £150,000 a year in benefits.
It emerged police pulled over Mohammidy as he was driving round Terminal 5 because they thought he was an unlicensed cab driver. He told them he worked at the airport and they were stunned when they checked out his story and found he was a former hijacker.
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Mohammidy hijacked this internal Afghan flight and landed it at Stansted airport in 2000. He was escorted off the plane after a 4-day siege
Mohammidy works for a contractor used by British Airways to clean its offices and training centre at Heathrow.
The airline insisted he did not have an "airside" pass which would let him near planes, but his BA credentials did grant him access to restricted areas, it is understood.
One of the armed hijackers, faced covered with a balaclava, patrols the tarmac at Stansted in 2000
Yesterday Shadow Home Secretary David Davis said: "It is clear the Government do not have a grip on airport security.
"This individual should patently not be permitted access to secure locations at our airports, and immediate checks must be made on all other employees."
Tory aviation-spokesman Julian Brazier has written to Transport Minister Jim Fitzpatrick describing the breach as "beyond parody."
After police pulled in Mohammidy at Terminal 5, they also discovered he was in breach of bail conditions over an assault charge.
He is accused of beating up a former landlord and is due before magistrates on Monday.
Earlier this week Mohammidy, who has been living in Hounslow, West London, appeared in court over the bail breach but magistrates in Uxbridge bailed him again.
Scotland Yard confirmed the incident in which he was stopped at Heathrow.
A spokesman said: "In December 2007 officers stopped and searched a man under section 44 of the Terrorism Act at Terminal 5. Inquiries revealed he was in breach of bail."
British Airways said in a statement: "We have been helping the police with their inquiries into a man who is employed by our cleaning contractors. He does not work at the airport and does not hold an airside pass. He works at one of our properties about a mile away."
Reader views (24)
Geof Fearon, Hounslow:
"I know this guy. He's a civil hard working individual......."
Get real you muppet. This "guy" hijacked a plane, put the fear of god into the majority of the passengers by threatening to kill if demands weren't met, is allowed to stay-- costing the British taxpayer thousands of pounds a year, beats up his former landlord etc. etc. And you feel for him and his family?
There's only one Political Party ready to purge The United Kingdom of this vile scrounging filth.
Wake up you people out there, put your cross in the box that says "Common Sense".
- Chris Taylor, Bridlington, England
I know this guy. He's a civil hard working individual who holds down at least two jobs to pay his way. I'm saddened by this affair and feel for him and his family
- Geof Fearon, hounslow
First I couldn't quite believe this armed hijacker who took a plane and landed in the UK was rewarded with Citizenship, but then to also read this guy is working at one four airports is crazy.
This is just plain wrong. I blame those human rights people for this and the people of this country for allowing them to dictate how we run our country. Of course the government is a major culprit of this.
I'm really considering leaving this country. Not just for this story, but for many things that are going on. I really don't think I like living here now.
- Rob, Camden, London
This country really is becoming a joke. In any other country they would've been tricked into landing the plane and then either shot or put in jail, in ours we obviously decide to let them receive benefits and live in our country. £150,000 in benefits? That's more than I earn and I'm in the Royal Navy.
Someone needs to get a grip on this country but somehow I don't think it'll happen before it's far too late.
- Jonathan, London, England
There is something wrong when an unelected body, no I am not talking about the Generals in Burma, but the judiciary in England can over rule the wishes of the people as expressed through their elected representatives. All these in self appointed authority enjoy the highest (some armed police) protection. While those wrong doers they free are allowed to terrorise the public.
- John Baylor, Minden, Germany
This country is becoming a joke.
- Mark, Birmingham
Good grief!
The mind boggles at the utter stupidity of those handling this and related cases.
....and now he's back out in the streets?
When I left the UK I thought it was 'probably' the right thing to do. Looks like I left just in time to avoid the Mad Hatter's tea-party!
- Rogan, DFW Texas
Don't blame Mohammidy! If we as a country are content to stand by and watch bureaucrats 'ok' this sort of event, it is our fault. Before you vote, read each party manifesto and decide which one would actively alter this sort of nonsense. Then vote for them!
- Roy G, Solihull, England.
How the hell can we expect a peaceful society when the people who make the rules are so blindly ignorant to the needs of the public to feel secure,
If they are so extremely unfit to govern then step aside let the people decide.
- Tony Winchester, Southend G.B.
Truly unbelievable. Weren't we told at the time that all these people were going to be deported?
A cost to support these people of £150,000 effectively means that there are perhaps 10 families out there who are working full time and paying ALL their taxes simply to pay for these criminals.
However, until the British people get off their bums and take some action this sorry state of affairs will continue.
- Charles, Bath, UK
Only had access to a BA Training room! Well that's fine then - he can only use all the training videos showing how to avoid terror attacks and hijacking to show his mates what to do! Why do we continue to treat these Afghan Hijackers like royalty - £150,000 per year and all bills paid on their luxury council properties - what a total farce and insult to the UK. Roll on Election time - I am sure we all know who we will be voting for!
- Gary, wycombe
"Those whom the the Gods seek to destroy first they make mad"
We must be mad to allow situations like this to arise, and at the taxpayers expense.
Just sheer lunacy.
- John Ryde, Leicester
Watch for a lot more craziness like this once the regime in Brussels takes over at the end of the year (E.U. Constitution, aka Lisbon Treaty), and the U.K. becomes a de jure province of the bigger country that is recognized at that time! The European Convention on Human Rights is embedded into the E.U. Constitution and will be then enshrined as an over-arching principle of British law. Deportation becomes a thing of the past. The British should have been more awake to the Brown/Clegg giveaway of their country! Why people didn't riot against it, I'll never understand. Retaining the U.K. as a country was an issue 1,000 times more important than Thatcher's poll tax (which caused huge rioting).
- Phil Jones, London UK
It's time we all woke up and realised that our bungling bureaucrats and the pc brigade or ruining our chances of a peaceful, normal life. No wonder hard working people are finding it hard to make ends meet. I bet these people have their benefits upped to take account of inflation increases. Stop all this stupidity, reclaim Britain, we would all work harder and enjoy a better standard of life if politicians and judges didn't fritter it all away and are so slow to react to the menaces in society such as teenage tearaways, illegal immigrants, work dodgers and spongers on the state.
- Derek Hope, Sidcup, Kent England
I snorted tea all over my screen on reading this. Finest piece of humour I've read in a while, and that punch line is a classic. Your journalist is to be commended.
- Threaded, Roskilde, Denmark
So, what exactly is the incentive for anyone to be a law-abiding, tax-paying citizen?
- Marianne, SW France
You couldn't make it up! Sending in the SAS to storm the plane at the time would have saved us a shed load of taxpayer cash and also not advertised to the world in general that we reward hijackers with houses and jobs at our airports.
- Squiz, Islington
Oh my god, this would be funny if it wasn't true. What a laughing stock us law abiding, tax paying Brits are.
- Jlo, London
This is unbelievable. I have been reading this article and can only wonder why the English don't riot to stop this nonsense now before it gets worse. How can this be justified and fair, you hijack a plane and because of that you are given a better standard of living and in the eyes of liberal elite in this country you are a hero and deserving of a lifestyle and standard much better than the ordinary English person.
How could the court of appeal rule that the hijacking conviction was unsafe? I am feeling so mad about this I feel like going to downing street and then the high court and showing them all what it feels like to be unsafe.
- Si#, London, UK
What is going on in this country?!
- Jan, London
How bonkers is this? If you made it up no-one would believe you.
- Lescm19, Harlow, Essex
Never mind the phrase the "lunatics are running the asylum" now we have "the hijackers are running the airport". You couldn't make it up. Are we really so PC that whoever's job it was to check their backgrounds failed so spectacularly? Why weren't we able to deport these terrorists back to Afghanistan instead of having to support them to the tune of £150k per year?
- Marc, Harrow, UK
Are BA Mad? Allowing a suspect of hijacking, false imprisonment and possessing guns and explosives and in breach of his bail to enter and work in secure areas, stupidly to the extreme.
- Paul, Portsmouth Uk
What on earth is happening in this country - there are quite obviously no security checks whatsoever for jobs at our airports. A very scary thought.
- Jo Boone, Canvey Island
