Pakistan plane leaves Sweden after no explosives found

A Pakistan International Airlines plane has left Sweden and a suspect was released after no explosives were found on board on Saturday, police said.

The jetliner, a Boeing 777, was on its way from Canada to Pakistan with 273 people on board. It made a unscheduled landing earlier on Saturday at Stockholm's Arlanda airport after police were alerted by a phone call by an anonymous woman that a man on the plane may have an explosive device with himself.

Swedish police evacuated all people from the plane and detained a passenger on suspicion of taking an explosive device on board.

However, no explosives were found on the man or on the plane. All passengers, except the suspect, were allowed back on the plane.

And the plane took off for Manchester, England, from where the passengers would continue their journey to Karachi, Pakistan, said Jan Lindqvist, a spokesman for airport operator Swedavia.

Half an hour later after the plane left, a 28-year-old Canadian citizen has also been released by the prosecutor's office.

"The suspicions against the man were not sufficiently strong for an arrest order and he is therefore free to leave Sweden," the office said in a statement.

Stockholm district police spokesman Ulf Lindgren said the man would get help with the practical details of how to reach his planned destination.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police said it was investigating whether the incident was a hoax, according to reports reaching here from Canada.