Man charged after disruptions force international flight back to Sydney

SYDNEY - A 45-year-old man was charged on Tuesday after causing disruptions to an international flight from Australia to Malaysia.

According to a statement by the Australian Federal Police (AFP), the Canberra resident faced the charges of making false statements about threats to damage a Division 3 aircraft and not complying with the cabin crew's safety instructions.

The offenses carry a maximum penalty of 10-year imprisonment and a fine of over 15,000 Australian dollars (about 9,727 U.S. dollars), respectively. The man is expected to appear in Downing Centre Local Court also on Tuesday.

A flight to Malaysia departed at about 1.00pm local time on Monday but returned to Sydney International Airport at 3.45pm local time.

"During the flight, a male passenger allegedly became disruptive and claimed to have explosives on board. The AFP arrested the man without incident," said the federal police. XINHUA