At least 5 held after Mexican hijack

A number of suspects are being held after an AeroMexico passenger plane was hijacked in Mexico and flown to the Mexican capital…

A number of suspects are being held after an AeroMexico passenger plane was hijacked in Mexico and flown to the Mexican capital.

Five handcuffed men were brought off the Boeing 737 plane on the tarmac at Mexico City international airport by police, shortly after around 100 passengers and the crew descended safely from the aircraft, local television images showed.

However, it is reported up to eight people could be in custody in relation to the incident.

The AeroMexico flight was seized after taking off from the Caribbean resort of Cancun. Local newspaper websites said the hijackers had threatened to blow the plane up unless they were allowed to speak to President Felipe Calderon.

Mexican radio said the plane was carrying 104 passengers.

All the passengers were safely off the aircraft and there was no bomb on board, Transport Minister Juan Molinar said.

"The passengers are safe. There was no bomb," Mr Molinar told Mexico's Televisa channel.

Soon after the plane landed in the capital, the passengers descended from the plane, carrying hand luggage, Mexican media said. They appeared calm and boarded nearby buses.

Minutes after the passengers emerged, security forces boarded the plane and the crew emerged from the plane.

Mexican media said the plane was seized after it took off from Cancun, a well-known resort popular with US tourists.

One of the passengers, Adriana Romero, told Mexican television she had not realised the flight had been hijacked until the plane landed at Mexico City. "We realised it was a hijack when we saw the police trucks," she said.

El Universaldaily said the men had not been able to get inside the plane's cockpit.

Reuters