Tigerair Australia, AFP Evicts Male Passenger For Terrorism-Themed Drawings Amid High Terror Alert

A 28-year-old male passenger was evicted from a Tigerair Australia plane after he was caught working on terrorism-related drawings at Melbourne airport. The man had already boarded the aircraft bound for Gold Coast on Sept. 18 when Australian Federal Police officers approached him and asked him to get off the plane.

According to reports, another passenger on the same flight had filed a complaint after observing the man doodling in his notebook with the text in bold letters "terroristmadeup." In a report by Newscom.au, Oliver Buckworth said he was concerned about what he must have looked like to other people in the plane. As he was leaving with the officers, he said aloud that he was not a criminal.

Buckworth admitted that he was writing something about the "absurdity of fearmongering" in Australia, which is known as a "happy country." He insisted that the man who complained about his drawing had simply taken it out of context.

Reports said Tigerair confirmed that it informed the authorities about the issue after receiving a complaint from one of its passengers. According to the airline's statement, it informed the public that it has zero tolerance on the matter of safety. Tigerair said the safety of its staff and passengers is its utmost priority. As written in the airline's terms and conditions, the company may refuse to board passengers for safety reasons.

A spokesperson for the AFP has confirmed that police had responded to the airline's request for assistance. The authorities had already spoken to the ejected passenger but no action will be taken against him. Buckworth described the airline's action as "ridiculous" when he learned that the airline blacklisted him indefinitely.

Earlier in the month, Prime Minister Tony Abbott has raised the national terrorism alert from medium to high after repeated warnings from security and intelligence officials of a growing threat in the country. Reports said the number of Australians joining extremist groups continue to increase, including those fighting with Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. At least 15 men have been arrested in anti-terror raids conducted in Sydney and Brisbane days ago.

Australia's terrorism alert system has four levels, with the current level the highest it has ever been. A high terrorism alert level means a terror attack is "likely." The country has been placed in a "medium" terror alert level since 2003.