Maghreb Edition

Spain looks for 12 who fled plane after ’emergency landing’F

Posted On 7 December 2022

Number of times this article was read : 723

Spanish police were still searching for 12 passengers who fled their plane Wednesday after an emergency landing at Barcelona airport following what may have been a fake medical incident, officials said. They were part of a group of 28 people on a Pegasus Airlines flight from Casablanca to Istanbul after it made a pre-dawn landing at Barcelona’s El Prat airport. Police were originally searching for 14 passengers, but later announced that they had made two arrests. It is the second such incident in just over a year.

At 4:30 am (0330 GMT) the plane requested an emergency landing because “a female passenger’s waters had supposedly broken”, said a source in the central government’s delegation in Catalonia. The plane was met by an ambulance and three police patrols but “as they were disembarking the pregnant woman, a group of 28 people left the plane and tried to flee”, the source said.

Police managed to detain 14 of them, including the pregnant woman, but five were returned to the plane at their own request after being accepted back by the airline staff. “The woman was taken to Sant Joan de Deu hospital for a check-up, which found no signs she was in labour so she was discharged and arrested for disturbing the public order by claiming she had gone into labour,” the source said.

The authorities were meanwhile processing the other would-be migrants to ensure their return to Morocco. The previous incident was on November 5, 2021, involving a flight from Morocco to Turkey. Another plane flying from Casablanca to Istanbul was forced to make an emergency landing in Mallorca after one of the passengers appeared to be unwell. After the passenger was disembarked from the plane with a companion, another 21 people fled. The passenger, who had appeared to be going into a diabetic coma, was taken to hospital but found to be fine. He was then arrested, while the companion fled.

Police arrested 12 people, including a passenger who created a disturbance on the plane, while another 12 managed to flee, prompting a manhunt. All but one were thought to be Moroccans.

AFP

Subscribe to Urgent Notifications and Newsletter

Most Recent Stories from the Region

Mali Army, Russian Allies Accused of Executing Civilians Near Mauritania BorderF

Seven Malian refugees traveling from Mauritania were allegedly executed by Malian soldiers and Russian Africa Corps personnel near Ahl El Kory, close to the Mauritanian border, after their vehicles were stopped on March 6. Local sources say the unarmed Fulani civilians were shot or had their throats cut, while other passengers were beaten, questioned as suspected jihadists, then released.

Niger: Armed Attacks Target Military Bases in TahouaF

Armed militants launched coordinated assaults on military facilities in Tahoua, a strategic city in northwestern Niger. The attacks targeted Air Base 401 at the local airport and the headquarters of the 42nd Inter‑Arms Battalion. Nigerien forces repelled both assaults after intense fighting, leaving several soldiers lightly wounded and multiple attackers dead, with five suspects arrested.

Global Energy Markets Jolt as Iran War Disrupts Gulf Oil FlowsF

Oil prices surged toward $119 per barrel as the conflict involving Iran disrupted tanker traffic through the Persian Gulf, forcing several Gulf producers to reduce output and pushing governments to consider emergency energy measures. Saudi Arabia joined Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, and the UAE in cutting production as shipments stalled and storage capacity tightened. With hundreds of tankers idling near the Strait of Hormuz and major shipping insurers suspending coverage, the crisis is rapidly evolving from a regional military conflict into a global energy shock.

Written by The North Africa Journal

The North Africa Journal is a leading English-language publication focused on North Africa. The Journal covers primarily the Maghreb region and expands its general coverage to the Sahel, Egypt, and beyond, when events in those regions affect the broader North Africa geography. The Journal does not have any affiliation with any institution and has been independent since its founding in 1996. Our position is to always bring our best analysis of events affecting the region, and remain as neutral as humanly possible. Our coverage is not limited to one single topic, but ranges from economic and political affairs, to security, defense, social and environmental issues. We rely on our full staff analysts and editors to bring you best-in-class analysis. We also work with sister company MEA Risk LLC, to leverage the presence on the ground of a solid network of contributors and experts. Information on MEA Risk can be found at www.MEA-Risk.com.