A Sri Lankan citizen and a German national were arrested by the Mumbai Police on Thursday (13) for allegedly swapping their boarding passes at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, an official said.
The incident occurred on Monday (10) when the 22-year-old Sri Lankan, travelling on a fake passport, and the 36-year-old German exchanged passes in an airport bathroom to board flights to London and Kathmandu, respectively.
The matter came to light when an airline attendant raised noticed that the departure stamp on the passport appeared to be fake and the departure stamp number did not match the boarding pass.
As a result, the Sri Lankan national, who had reached the UK, was deported to Mumbai on Tuesday (11) after confessing to his original identity. He reportedly admitted to the police that he was seeking better job opportunities in the UK.
The German citizen with the Kathmandu-bound boarding pass was also arrested by the police. Both foreigners were found to have stayed in a luxury hotel near the airport and planned to swap their boarding passes.
They have been booked under sections for cheating, forgery, and criminal conspiracy, with investigations ongoing to determine if there were other individuals involved in the crime.
(With inputs from PTI)
Mark Easton
And , Sue Baker OBE
