Deportation from Sweden for making a plane bomb threat did not stop a Russian man from attempting to re-enter across the border. His lawyer claims the man came back solely for his beloved cat, stuck in a pet hotel and by nature scared of strangers.

The 52-year-old man, whose name has not yet been revealed, was detained October 12 in the Lernacken suburb of the city of Malmö, Swedish newspaper Sydsvenskan reported on Saturday.

The man had apparently been banned for life from Sweden after making a bomb threat on board a flight from St. Petersburg to Helsinki. As a result, the plane was diverted to the Swedish capital Stockholm.

The hapless “bomber” is now detained on charges of breaking Sweden’s foreign citizens’ laws. However, the Russian claims that he did not intend to stay in Sweden. He is adamant that he was motivated to return so as to retrieve his beloved moggy.

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The man’s four-legged friend has been stuck in at a cat hotel in the town of Boras, some 230 km from Malmö, reportedly for three years. The Russian’s lawyer says that the man is determined to retrieve the feline.

“This is about a shy cat that is scared of strange people, so we must find a solution to this,” Richard Schönmeyr told Sydsvenskan.