STOCKHOLM: Swedish police on Saturday released a man held on suspicion of planning to blow up a Boeing 777 flying from Canada to Pakistan, after a bomb threat forced an emergency landing in Stockholm.
The man, a Canadian citizen around the age of 30, had been detained for "planning to sabotage an airplane," Stefan Raadman of the Stockholm police, who is heading the investigation, earlier told reporters at Stockholm's Arlanda airport.
The Pakistani International Airlines (PIA) flight was on its away to Karachi from Toronto and landed at Arlanda airport shortly after 0730 GMT.
It is now in a zone isolated from other aircraft and buildings.
A PIA spokesman told AFP some 243 passengers and 18 crew members were onboard.
"PK-782 was coming to Karachi form Toronto. As soon as the aircraft entered the European airspace it was asked by the control tower to land in Stockholm as there was some threat," spokesman Syed Sultan Hassan said.
"The pilot informed our central control here that he was landing in Stockholm," he said.
He added the suspect was "of Pakistani origin."
The plane's crew had been alerted to the possible presence of a bomber onboard and decided to make the emergency landing.
"A woman contacted the Canadian police and said there was a man on board that could have explosives on him. We do not know for the moment who this woman is," Janne Hedlund of the Stockholm police told the TT news agency.
Hedlund said the call came from a telephone box.
Both the airline and airport officials have said the plane would resume its journey as soon as possible.
"That will probably be tomorrow. The crew has been up and running for too long and now has to be replaced or rest," airport spokesman Jan Lindqvist told AFP.
The man, a Canadian citizen around the age of 30, had been detained for "planning to sabotage an airplane," Stefan Raadman of the Stockholm police, who is heading the investigation, earlier told reporters at Stockholm's Arlanda airport.
The Pakistani International Airlines (PIA) flight was on its away to Karachi from Toronto and landed at Arlanda airport shortly after 0730 GMT.
It is now in a zone isolated from other aircraft and buildings.
A PIA spokesman told AFP some 243 passengers and 18 crew members were onboard.
"PK-782 was coming to Karachi form Toronto. As soon as the aircraft entered the European airspace it was asked by the control tower to land in Stockholm as there was some threat," spokesman Syed Sultan Hassan said.
"The pilot informed our central control here that he was landing in Stockholm," he said.
He added the suspect was "of Pakistani origin."
The plane's crew had been alerted to the possible presence of a bomber onboard and decided to make the emergency landing.
"A woman contacted the Canadian police and said there was a man on board that could have explosives on him. We do not know for the moment who this woman is," Janne Hedlund of the Stockholm police told the TT news agency.
Hedlund said the call came from a telephone box.
Both the airline and airport officials have said the plane would resume its journey as soon as possible.
"That will probably be tomorrow. The crew has been up and running for too long and now has to be replaced or rest," airport spokesman Jan Lindqvist told AFP.
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