Samir Mohtadi denies Mycentre links to Flydubai co-pilot
- United Arab Emirates prosecutors allege that a 29-year-old Omani co-pilot accused of an attempted Flydubai hijacking on September 30, 2026, was radicalised while studying engineering at RMIT University...
- Samir Mohtadi, who leads MyCentre under the name Abu Hamza, issued a four-minute video statement on Facebook denying any connection to the co-pilot.
- I strongly reject any attempt to associate me or [the] Multicultural Youth Centre with Al-Hammami.
United Arab Emirates prosecutors allege that a 29-year-old Omani co-pilot accused of an attempted Flydubai hijacking on September 30, 2026, was radicalised while studying engineering at RMIT University in Melbourne in 2017. According to state media statements released by UAE Attorney-General Dr Hamad Saif al-Shamsi, the suspect frequented a Broadmeadows mosque associated with a community group known as MyCentre. The Australian Federal Police, Victoria Police, and ASIO are investigating the suspect’s Australian connections, theguardian.com reported.
Samir Mohtadi Rejects Mosque Links
Samir Mohtadi, who leads MyCentre under the name Abu Hamza, issued a four-minute video statement on Facebook denying any connection to the co-pilot. Mohtadi did not directly address the UAE prosecutor’s claims in the video but urged followers to stay silent in the face of accusations, abc.net.au reported. Earlier, Mohtadi released a statement strongly rejecting the association and stating he had never met the suspect or found any record of him attending the centre, according to abc.net.au.
I strongly reject any attempt to associate me or [the] Multicultural Youth Centre with Al-Hammami. Such claims are unfounded, misleading and risk unfairly damaging the reputation of an organisation that has served the wider Australian community for decades.
Samir Mohtadi
The Australian Federation of Islamic Councils backed MyCentre, with president Rateb Jneid stating that community organisations should not have their reputations damaged through speculation or guilt by association, abc.net.au reported. Neither MyCentre nor Mohtadi face criminal wrongdoing allegations from investigators, france24.com noted.
Cockpit Intervention Averts Disaster
The attempted hijacking unfolded during a September 30 flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv carrying 182 passengers and crew, theguardian.com reported. Prosecutors allege the co-pilot attacked the flight captain, Indian national Smit Machchhar, with an emergency axe in a premeditated suicide plot intended to crash the plane into Ben Gurion Airport, according to france24.com.
Another pilot scheduled for the return flight noticed the cockpit door opening and closing unusually. With the assistance of a cabin crew member and multiple passengers, the second pilot restrained the suspect and rescued the injured captain before landing safely at Tabuk Airport in Saudi Arabia, france24.com reported.
Australian and International Security Investigations
Australian Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke stated that the co-pilot was allegedly radicalised online and that the federal government aims to tighten border and digital screening protocols, theguardian.com reported. RMIT University confirmed the suspect studied engineering before leaving Australia without finishing his degree, moving on to flight training in New Zealand, according to theguardian.com.
New Zealand authorities are examining the suspect’s residency between November 2018 and May 2019 under a six-month student visa, france24.com reported. Meanwhile, Australian security agencies continue probing the full extent of the suspect’s activities and associations during his roughly two-year stay in the country, abc.net.au reported.