A Victorian teenager accused of boarding a Jetstar plane at Avalon Airport armed with a long-arm firearm and a fake bomb faces a string of fresh federal charges including attempted hijacking.
The boy – who cannot be identified due to his age – allegedly boarded the plane when armed and was overpowered by a pilot and passengers on March 6.
A still from footage of the boy being restrained by a Jetstar worker, passenger Barry Clark and the pilot.Credit: Defina
Victoria Police filed four additional Commonwealth charges against the 17-year-old as part of their ongoing investigation into the major security breach.
The teenager is accused of assaulting a member of an airline crew, attempted hijacking, prejudicing the safe operation of an aircraft, and prejudicing the safe operation of an aircraft with the intent to kill.
Earlier on Friday, a children’s court heard officers from the Victorian Joint Counter-Terrorism Team, a group made up of Australian Federal Police and Victoria Police members, was also investigating the matter.
The teenager, who has been on remand since the incident, was not required to appear in court in person or via video link during the hearing. His lawyer did not apply for bail, and the 17-year-old was remanded to return to court in April.
Police believe the boy allegedly climbed through a hole in the airport’s security fence before making his way on foot to the Sydney-bound Jetstar flight JQ610 at Avalon Airport on March 6.
Those on board noticed the barrel of a shotgun while the teenager was talking to a flight attendant and rushed to tackle the boy, who allegedly claimed, “I’ve got bombs in my bag.”
Staff and passengers on the flight, which was carrying about 150 people, restrained the boy until police arrived from the nearby town of Lara to arrest him.
The boy was initially charged with 12 offences over the incident, including boarding a plane without authorisation in possession of a firearm with the intent of prejudicing the safe operation of an aircraft, endangering the safety of the aircraft, and possessing dangerous goods onboard a plane. He has also been charged with driving unsupervised while on a learner’s permit.
He is also accused of stealing two 12-gauge shotguns and a rifle and allegedly had two or more firearms on him as he made his way to Avalon Airport.
According to court documents released to the media, he was allegedly carrying a faux homemade explosive, which had been fashioned to look like a legitimate explosive device.
The court has previously heard this was the teenager’s first time in custody.
Avalon Airport has launched an urgent internal review of its security arrangements in response to the incident. The Department of Home Affairs, Victoria Police’s counter-terrorism command, and the Cyber and Infrastructure Security Centre are also investigating.
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