Alleged ‘hijacking' disrupts flights at Vancouver airport
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Vancouver Sun
18 minutes ago
- Vancouver Sun
Air-traffic conversation suggests suspected B.C. hijacking was 'some type of protest'
A conversation involving a Vancouver International Airport air traffic controller suggests the alleged hijacking of a small aircraft that temporarily stopped landings on Tuesday may have been motivated by 'some type of protest.' The unidentified controller in the air-traffic audio recording tells the pilot of a grounded aircraft that a Cessna is circling about 500 feet over the airport and the situation could last 'a couple hours.' But the Cessna landed about 10 minutes later, and police say the sole occupant was arrested. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. In the air traffic conversation, the grounded pilot of a commercial jet asks why his plane is being held at the gate. Vancouver air-traffic control had first mentioned a 'rogue aircraft' shortly after 1 p.m., asking nearby aircraft to keep an eye out for the Cessna 172 and to inform controllers of any need to 'manoeuvre as necessary.' Police in Richmond said Tuesday the pilot of the Cessna was arrested after the plane landed at about 1:45 p.m., 47 minutes after online flight data showed the aircraft taking off from Victoria International Airport. Victoria International Airport said in a statement the Cessna was operated by the Victoria Flying Club. Vancouver International Airport said flights were operating normally later Tuesday afternoon after a 39-minute 'ground stop' for arrivals. An air traffic controller in the recordings says at about 1:13 p.m. that the pilot of the Cessna stated he had hijacked the aircraft and was heading to Vancouver, and flight data show the plane circling above the airport for about 25 minutes. The controller and a grounded pilot discuss when such an incident had last occurred, and one of them is heard saying 'maybe the '70s.' Police did not immediately respond to requests for updates on the case, including the identity of the pilot. A video posted online on social media showed police cars closing in on the Cessna as it taxis after landing on YVR's north runway, and the door of the aircraft swinging open before it stops moving. Another recording of a radio conversation between airport operations for arrivals and departures that occurred while the aircraft was circling above says the suspect 'expected to be arrested.'
CTV News
18 minutes ago
- CTV News
Man charged after $200K in ‘luxury items' stolen from Surrey home
A man has been charged with seven crimes in a 2024 break-in where hundreds of thousands of dollars' worth of items were allegedly stolen from a Surrey home, according to authorities. The break-and enter happened on Nov. 30, 2024, in the Newton neighbourhood, the Surrey Police Service said in a news release Wednesday. 'Investigators from SPS's Prolific Offender Unit, with the assistance of the Richmond RCMP, identified a potential suspect and were able to recover several of the items from the residence,' the statement said. In January of 2025, a home in Richmond was searched and police 'recovered additional property believed by police to be stolen,' according to the SPS. CTV News asked for more information about the allegedly stolen goods and was told they were mainly 'jewelry and designer goods.' Nicky Yuk Bun Law, 30, was charged earlier this month with one count of break-and-enter, one count of theft over $5,000, two counts of possession of stolen property, one count of trafficking stolen property, one count of possession of property for the purposes of trafficking, and one count of possession of break-in instruments. Law was released from custody and scheduled to appear in court Wednesday morning.
CBC
19 minutes ago
- CBC
Manitoba hotel owner charged with trafficking employees granted bail
A Manitoba hotel owner charged with human trafficking has been granted bail after four of his employees from India reported being underpaid, forced to work 15-hour days and threatened with deportation. Jai Inder Sandhu, 63, sat quietly in the prisoner's box in a Winnipeg courtroom Wednesday afternoon as Manitoba provincial court Judge Robert Heinrichs delivered the reasons for his decision. Those reasons cannot be revealed because of a publication ban. Sandhu's release conditions include abiding by a curfew, turning in his Canadian passport to RCMP within 48 hours of being released from custody and having no contact with the four complainants in the case or with his co-accused, Satbir Sandhu, 48, unless they're with their lawyers or as needed for court purposes. RCMP announced last month they'd charged the two, who are a couple, with trafficking in persons and receiving material benefit from trafficking, while Jai Inder Sandhu was also charged with withholding or destroying documents and uttering threats. Police did not identify their hotel by name, but CBC News confirmed Jai Inder Sandhu is an owner of the Howard Johnson hotel in Portage la Prairie. Sandhu's release conditions include a bail of $10,000 cash and sureties for a total of $40,000. He was also ordered to live at a specific address in Winnipeg and not move without permission from the court. Mounties previously said their investigation in the case began on Feb. 9, when they got a call about a disturbance at the hotel west of Winnipeg, where the four employees lived and worked. Two female employees later came forward to report their situation to police, and another woman and a man were later also identified as victims, RCMP said. Mounties said all four were promised fair wages, affordable living and legal work in Manitoba through federal labour market impact assessments — documents issued to employers by the federal government that allow them to hire foreign workers if they can't find a Canadian or permanent resident to fill a position. Until recently, those assessments both allowed foreign nationals to work legally in Canada and increased their chances of becoming permanent residents by adding points to their permanent residency applications. WATCH | 2 arrested in labour trafficking investigation, say Manitoba RCMP: 2 arrested in labour trafficking investigation, say Manitoba RCMP 20 days ago In the Portage la Prairie case, while three of the employees eventually got the assessment document, which would have legalized their work, the employer didn't meet the conditions outlined. Another of the employees never got one, RCMP said. The employees reported being paid roughly half of Manitoba's minimum hourly wage and said they faced threats of deportation and other intimidation tactics. In one instance, one person said their identification documents were withheld from them, Mounties said. The four did "pretty much everything" at the hotel, from working the front counter and the restaurant to doing cleaning, RCMP said. One person was recruited through friends of family, while others got involved through word of mouth or advertisements online. All had been working at the hotel for 10 months to a year, police said.
