Sri Lankan student threatened to 'hijack' Malaysia Airlines on same day he was released from psychiatric care

A Sri Lankan man who allegedly threatened to blow up a plane carrying more than 330 passengers out of Melbourne had been released from psychiatric care the same day, the Daily Mail reported.

Victoria Police originally thought there was more than one terror threat on board Malyasia Airlines flight MH128 to Kuala Lumpur, so they waited up to 90 minutes before special operations officers stormed the plane.

The 25-year-old Sri Lankan national, living in Dandenong and on a student visa, was arrested early on Thursday morning following the overnight drama. He faces two charges against the Crimes Aviation Act and will appear in court on Thursday.

'He had been released from psychiatric care from the Monash Medical Centre (on Wednesday), and from there, we believe he has purchased a ticket on this plane,' Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton said.

About 30 minutes into the late night Wednesday flight, the man claimed to have explosives in a device that one witness said looked like a 'boombox'.

As he tried to move toward the cockpit, passengers grabbed him and tied him up while the flight returned to Melbourne.

Pic courtesy the Daily Mail