Priest on divine mission hijacks Mexican plane

A Protestant priest who said he was on a divine mission hijacked a Mexican plane mid-air on Wednesday with 104 people on board triggering a brief airport drama, officials said. Bible-carrying Jose Mar Flores Pereira hijacked the Aeromexico Boeing 737 carrying 104 people after it left from the popular tourist resort of Cancun on a flight to Mexico City.

He told authorities he had wanted to protect the country after he “had a revelation that Mexico was facing a great danger, and was threatened by an earthquake,” public security official, Genaro Garcia Luna, said.

The alleged hijacker was said to be a former prisoner and drug addict from Bolivia, who has lived in Mexico for 17 years. Flores Pereira hinted that he was acting with two accomplices, “referring to himself (the Father), the Son and the Holy Spirit,” Garcia Luna said.

All the people onboard the flight were safely evacuated at Mexico City as security forces swarmed the capital’s international airport within minutes of the plane landing.

The priest reported that his act was linked to Wednesday’s date, September 9, 2009 because the numbers 9/9/9 were the opposite of 6/6/6 the numbers associated with the AntiChrist.

Flores Pereira demanded to fly over the airport “seven times” and to speak with president Felipe Calderon adding the priest had warned he was carrying a explosive device, but in fact he was not. In less than an hour, the drama had been brought to an end.