Hijacker Surrenders After Soviet Plane Lands in Finland
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HELSINKI, Finland — A man who hijacked a Soviet airliner to Finland today and threatened to blow it up surrendered after negotiating with authorities at Helsinki International Airport, police said.
Tass news agency said the man, who hijacked the plane during a domestic flight in the Soviet Union, was unarmed.
“The hijacker wanted to go to Stockholm, but he was told there was not enough fuel,” said Chief Inspector Pertti Virolainin.
The 40-year-old man, identified as Nikolai Ivanovich Selivano, applied for political asylum, Virolainin told reporters.
The Soviet Embassy later requested extradition of the hijacker.
The hijacked Aeroflot Yak-40 aircraft carried 22 passengers--including two children--and a crew of four, Finnish authorities said. The 28-seat plane was flying northwest of Moscow when the man forced the pilot to change course.
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