Aug 19, 2018

An Egyptian man accused of hijacking a plane and diverting it to Cyprus has been sent back from the Mediterranean island to his homeland after a two-year extradition battle, officials said Sunday.

Seif al-Din Mohamed Mostafa, 61, allegedly used a fake suicide belt to seize an EgyptAir airliner from Alexandria to Cairo in March 2016.

"Cypriot authorities yesterday handed over to the Egyptian authorities, Egyptian detainee Seif al-Din Mohamed Mostafa," a statement from Cyprus's justice ministry said.

Officials at Cairo airport confirmed his arrival amid tight security late Saturday.

Egypt's attorney general said that Mostafa was being handed over to prosecutors in the country for further investigations.