Indian authorities seize Canada-bound passenger disguised as old man

A man disguised as a senior trying to board a flight to Canada was seized by Indian authorities at the Delhi airport earlier this week.

According to Indian publication The Tribune, the 24-year-old passenger altered his appearance in an attempt to impersonate an elderly individual.

He was stopped by Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel at Indira Gandhi Airport on Tuesday evening. He was reportedly booked on an Air Canada flight.

The Tribune noted that the man’s activities appeared “suspicious” to CISF officers.

He presented a passport to officials, claiming to be a 67-year-old man named Rashvindar Singh Sahota.

Officers noticed something suspicious about his appearance, quickly realizing that he looked much younger than the man in the passport photo he had presented to them.

Vigilant CISF personnel intercepted a passenger bound for Canada involved in human trafficking & impersonation. The pax attempted to travel by impersonating an aged person and using false documents. The passenger was handed over to Delhi Police.@HMOIndia@MoCA_GoI pic.twitter.com/Ivwj6qRoVI

— CISF (@CISFHQrs) June 19, 2024

“Closer observation revealed that he had dyed his hair and beard white and was wearing glasses to appear older,” a CISF official told The Tribune. 

According to a post from CISF on X, the passenger was allegedly involved in “human trafficking and impersonation… [and] attempted to travel by impersonating an aged person… using false documents.”

Officers interrogated the passenger further and searched his phone, where they found a picture of his actual passport. Delhi Police arrived and took him into custody.

Daily Hive has reached out to Delhi Police and Air Canada for further comment.