Fugitive US hijacker George Wright caught in Portugal
September 28th, 2011 - 9:32 pm ICT by Aishwarya BhattLisbon, Sept 28 (THAINDIAN NEWS) Portuguese officials have announced that they have arrested a fugitive US hijacker in the country. George Wright was part of a group who hijacked a Delta Airlines flight in 1972.
Wright released the passengers after he took $1 million from the FBI. He then ordered the flight to be sent to Boston from where he took the plane to Algeria. The Algerian government refused the US request to hand Wright back but they returned the money and the plane. After restricting the movement of Wright and his group for some time, the lost track of them and they slipped to France.
The French government arrested the associates of Wright in the country in Paris in 1976. They however failed to capture Wright and that was the last that was known about him. The French government tried and sentenced the members in the country and refused the US’ request for the members to be extradited.
The Portuguese officials say Wright, who is currently 68 years, was living in the country with the alias Jose Luis Jorge dos Santos. He works in a local club as a bouncer and is married with children who are currently in their twenties.
Wright was arrested last Monday.
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