BREAKING: The Australian Federal Police say counter-terrorism investigators are examining the Australian links of the flydubai co-pilot accused of trying to seize a Dubai–Tel Aviv flight.
The Victorian Joint Counter Terrorism Team — the AFP, Victoria Police and ASIO — has confirmed it is investigating the man’s ties to Australia. Media have identified him as Omani national Hammam al-Hammami.
Sources familiar with the case say he was granted an Australian student visa in 2014, was in Melbourne from about 2015 to 2017, and left the country before the visa was cancelled in 2019 because he was no longer enrolled. A deleted LinkedIn profile reportedly listed engineering study at RMIT. Police have not said he was radicalised here; the inquiry is into his links, including whether any radicalisation began in Australia.
Separately, officials have said he was earlier moved off flying duties at Oman Air over concerns about extremist views. The UAE is leading the investigation into the mid-air incident, which it has described as an attempted terrorist attack.