Wild video shows a hero former boxer bravely swapping places with a woman being held hostage at knifepoint at an airport — then fighting back and swiping the crazed kidnapper’s weapon from him.
The unidentified attacker was filmed grabbing screaming security guard Botagoz Mukhtarova, 21, by her ponytail at Almaty Airport in Kazakhstan — then aggressively threatening her with a large knife and claiming to have a bomb, according to East2West News.
As other security guards watch on helplessly, father of five Musa Abdraim, 52, calmly walks up and offers to swap places with the screaming hostage.
“I saw that he was going to stab her,” Abdraim said. “I told him, ‘Take me hostage instead of her.”
The kidnapper agrees, with the footage showing him releasing Mukhtarova and inside grabbing hold of Abdraim, pointing the knife at his replacement hostage.
After patiently waiting for the right moment, Abdraim suddenly reaches across and snatches the knife from the suspect’s right hand.
After a brief struggle, several officers pounce on the attacker, who now faces up to 12 years in prison for the terrifying incident, officials have said.
Abdraim said he acted instinctively. He claimed he used to be a fighter, participating in combat sports like boxing, martial arts, and kickboxing but admitted “that was a long time ago.”
It’s unclear what the knife-wielder wanted.
“He told the policemen he would press a button on the phone, and everything would blow up,” said Abdraim, who’d only gone to the airport to see relatives.
Kazakh law enforcement confirmed the suspect could face up to 12 years in prison as they continue a criminal investigation into the frightening incident.
“Police officers, with the help of airport security and the hero citizen, disarmed the offender and took him to the police room,” cops said in a statement.
Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has already declared that Musa Abdraim will be awarded a state medal for his remarkable bravery.