Tropic Air Flight Hijacking Not Classified as an Act of Terrorism

Details are still unfolding about Akinyela Taylor’s hijacking of the Tropic Air flight. Police report that Taylor was kicked out of PGIA for trying to board a flight without a ticket and was later denied entry to both Mexico and Belize. Commissioner Chester Williams says it’s still a mystery why Taylor came to Belize and what drove him to commit the crime.

 

Reporter

“In terms of the department investigation, has anything been uncover about why Mr. Taylor was here? If he had any contacts here what he had been doing before Thursday’s incident?”

 

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police

“We don’t have any information in terms of why he was here other than the fact that he might have been a tourist. In terms of contacts, I’ve seen some video footage that showed him in certain areas. People questioned him about what he was doing. And he said he was a normal backpacker moving around. So we do not per se, stop people from coming into the country if they’re coming as tourists.”

 

Reporter

“And then last thing in terms, I think there have been some that have been open about calling  this a terrorist incident. I don’t think terrorism in the normal definition is what happened here, but would you be able to clarify that aspect?”

 

Chester Williams

“Under the Anti-Money Laundering and Terrorism Act, it would not meet the threshold of an act of terror. So should he have survived this this ordeal, he would’ve been charged perhaps for kidnapping, attempt murder along those lines, but not for terrorism.”