Australian security agencies have launched an investigation into the roughly two years the flydubai co-pilot allegedly involved in an attempt to hijack an Israel-bound flight spent in the country as a student, according to The Guardian Middle East.
Police confirmed they are looking into the period the man reportedly spent in Australia ahead of the alleged attempted terrorist attack, the outlet reported.
The attempt occurred on Wednesday aboard a flydubai flight bound for Tel Aviv with 182 people on board, and was halted when passengers and crew stepped in to stop the co-pilot from taking control of the aircraft.
In the course of the incident, the plane dropped 16,625 feet (5,067 metres) in a little more than 30 seconds. The Guardian Middle East described the outcome as a disaster that was narrowly avoided.