HONG KONG – Hong Kong authorities have
arrested eight people suspected of helping
smuggle a young Chinese passenger onto a flight
to Canada wearing a Hollywood-style disguise as
an elderly white man.
The man, believed to be in his 20s, , sought
asylum after arriving in Vancouver on Oct. 29. He
is suspected of traveling to Hong Kong with
genuine Chinese travel documents, then
swapping them for fake papers and donning the
remarkably detailed silicone mask to change his
appearance before boarding the Air Canada flight.
Canadian authorities the man removed the mask
in a washroom mid-flight.
Hong Kong officials arrested five men and three
women from Friday to Sunday, Elly Au Yeung,
an information officer for the Hong Kong
Immigration Department, told The Associated
Press on Monday. She said a member of the
Hong Kong International Airport ground staff and
two former employees were among the arrested
suspects.
The eight are suspected smugglers who supplied
the passenger with his new travel papers at the
Hong Kong airport, Au Yeung said.
It is unclear if they have been charged, but they
were arrested on suspicion of swapping boarding
passes, selling passports and conspiracy to
defraud an airline operator, she said. The
suspected smugglers charged clients about
300,000 Chinese yuan ($45,000) each, she said.
A Hollywood-based company, SPFXMasks, later
said the mask was one of its models, called The
Elder. The company said it was proud of how
authentic it products look but never intended
them to be misused.
The Chinese man, whose name has been banned
from publication, remains in custody in Canada
pending confirmation of his identity and a ruling
on his request for political asylum. Canadian
border officials described him in an internal
bulletin as appearing to be in his 20s.
Source: http//www.foxnews.com/world/2011/01/09/hk-arrests-canada-disguised-passenger-case/
arrested eight people suspected of helping
smuggle a young Chinese passenger onto a flight
to Canada wearing a Hollywood-style disguise as
an elderly white man.
The man, believed to be in his 20s, , sought
asylum after arriving in Vancouver on Oct. 29. He
is suspected of traveling to Hong Kong with
genuine Chinese travel documents, then
swapping them for fake papers and donning the
remarkably detailed silicone mask to change his
appearance before boarding the Air Canada flight.
Canadian authorities the man removed the mask
in a washroom mid-flight.
Hong Kong officials arrested five men and three
women from Friday to Sunday, Elly Au Yeung,
an information officer for the Hong Kong
Immigration Department, told The Associated
Press on Monday. She said a member of the
Hong Kong International Airport ground staff and
two former employees were among the arrested
suspects.
The eight are suspected smugglers who supplied
the passenger with his new travel papers at the
Hong Kong airport, Au Yeung said.
It is unclear if they have been charged, but they
were arrested on suspicion of swapping boarding
passes, selling passports and conspiracy to
defraud an airline operator, she said. The
suspected smugglers charged clients about
300,000 Chinese yuan ($45,000) each, she said.
A Hollywood-based company, SPFXMasks, later
said the mask was one of its models, called The
Elder. The company said it was proud of how
authentic it products look but never intended
them to be misused.
The Chinese man, whose name has been banned
from publication, remains in custody in Canada
pending confirmation of his identity and a ruling
on his request for political asylum. Canadian
border officials described him in an internal
bulletin as appearing to be in his 20s.
Source: http//www.foxnews.com/world/2011/01/09/hk-arrests-canada-disguised-passenger-case/
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