A 36-year-old British national who was being deported from Thailand to the United Kingdom (UK) managed to escape from the immigration area during a halt for a connecting flight at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport and escaped into the city on October 29, raising concerns over a serious security lapse. He does not have a valid visa to stay in India and has not been traced in 10 days since the incident, two police officers familiar with the matter said on Friday.
The man does not have a valid visa to stay in India and has not been traced in 10 days since the incident. (Photo for representation)(Hindustan Times)
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The man, identified as Jordan Joseph Peter Fitz Patrick, arrived at the IGI Airport around noon on October 28 from Bangkok by an Air India flight. His connecting flight, run by Air India, to London from the Delhi airport was to take off nearly two-and-a-half hours after his arrival.
“Patrick was kept in the international to international passenger transfer area under the vigil of the airline’s ground handling and escort staff. He fled from there,” said one of the officers.
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According to the second officer, his disappearance was discovered on October 29, when the airline staff informed the immigration officials and other authorities concerned, triggering an extensive search operation by the Delhi Police and central security, as well as intelligence agencies.
Immigration officials and the Central Industrial Security force (CISF), while scanning CCTV cameras, found that the passenger had fled the immigration area on the morning of October 29. “The CCTV footage showed Patrick scaling the flap gate at immigration e-visa counter and exiting the airport from the arrival gate along with other passengers around 7.30 am. He was further seen going towards the city side,” the second officer said.
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A first information report (FIR) under sections 3 (requirement of passport or other travel document and visa) and 21 (penalty for entry without valid passport or other travel document) of the Immigration and Foreigners Act was registered at the IGI Airport police station on October 31, the officers said.
Air India did not comment on the incident.
The British Embassy did not respond to calls and messages seeking comment on the matter.
The CISF, which provides security at the airport, said the incident is being investigated by the Delhi Police.
A CISF official, under condition of anonymity, said, “It did not happen in an area which was under our jurisdiction and so, we are not involved directly. The police is investigating the man’s movement.”
Officers said that the matter was brought to the notice of the Delhi Police’s airport unit through a letter sent by the immigration department. Accordingly, the FIR was registered on the complaint lodged by an assistant sub-inspector from the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO).
“A case was registered in the matter and the concerned airline staff was questioned. Teams were formed to trace the person and they are working based on technical and human intelligence,” said deputy commissioner of police (IGI Airport) Vichitra Veer.
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Besides multiple teams of the Delhi Police, including the special cell and crime branch, the Bureau of Immigration, the CISF, the Intelligence Bureau (IB), and other agencies concerned, are looking for the British national. An alert has already been sounded at railway stations, interstate bus terminals, and Delhi metro stations.
“Investigators also searched some hotels around the airport but Patrick could not be found,” the first officer added.