A 52-year old retired boxer, Musa Abdraim became a hero on Friday at the Almaty International Airport in Kazakhstan when he disarmed a knife-wielding attacker who was holding a young female security officer hostage and threatening to detonate a bomb.

The 67-year-old perpetrator was asked for ID at a security checkpoint. He produced a kitchen knife, grabbed the 21-year-old officer by her ponytail and placed the blade to her face threatening to stab her. He claimed to have a bomb in his backpack and a remote detonator.

She screamed for help, and Abdraim, a father of five who had taken relatives to the airport, stepped forward and calmly offered himself as a substitute, pleading with the attacker, “Take me hostage instead of her.”

Shockingly (and stupidly), the attacker agreed. He released the woman and took this man instead. When the assailant became distracted, the hero lunged at him, grabbed the knife’s blade with his bare hands, and wrested it away. A struggle ensued, giving police and security the opening to rush in and subdue the man – who was detained and now faces up to 12 years for the hostage-taking, assault, and threats involving explosives.

A 52-year-old retired boxer, saved a 21-year-old female Airport security agent from a knife-wielding attacker at Almaty International Airport in Kazakhstan.

The ex-boxer swapped places to rescue the female security hostage at the Airport and disarmed the knifeman.

The… pic.twitter.com/fVUSfBA1kb

— FL360aero (@fl360aero) March 8, 2025

Law enforcement confirmed that the attacker had no clear motive revealed thus far, nor have they disclosed whether any explosive device was found on the premises. The boxer described his intervention as ‘instinctive’, noting his extensive past experience with martial arts, including kickboxing, Muay Thai, and other combat sports, though he remarked modestly, “that was a long time ago.” He admits being terrified.

Kazakhstan’s President, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, declared that Abdraim would receive a state medal for his heroism.