Police revealed the man's intentions. When they intervened, the refugee's bags were packed and plans were found, along with a farewell note to his family.

The PST (Norwegian Police Security Service) believe the man was capable of taking down a commuter plane in the northern Norway network. In the autumn of 2004 a Kato Air flight in Bodø narrowly avoided a crash after an asylum seeker entered the cockpit of such a plane and attacked the pilots with an axe.

PST chief Jørn Holme confirmed the 2003 arrest to Aftenposten, an incident that had been classified.

Security checks on these small commuter flights only began on the first of this year.

Holme said that the man had equipped himself to bring down a plan. Holme would not elaborate for security reasons, but said that explosives were not involved.

The refugee had been overheard talking about blowing up a plane by another asylum seeker, and authorities were notified.

In the man's suicide note to his family police said that the act was planned as part of "the struggle against the USA and Norway".

Upon his arrest the man was considered psychotic and put under constant medical attention, rather than going through criminal process. He was later sent out of the country under close guard.