Airports at Hyderabad and Bengaluru have launched facial recognition system under the ‘Digi Yatra’ initiative whereby a camera screens a passenger’s face to provide entry to the terminal, passenger security screening, and the boarding gate. But until the face ID is implemented at all airports, it is up to the security personnel to do verify documents manually.
Earlier, a man was caught after he gained unauthorised entry at IGI Airport’s Terminal 3 with an edited flight ticket. Now another incident has come to light.
At 10.45 pm on September 8, Jayesh Patel, a 32-year-old from Ahmedabad was apprehended for disguising himself as 81-year-old Amrik Singh and trying to board a New York-bound flight from Delhi airport’s T3. He used a fake passport, fake glasses and coloured his hair and beard white to appear like an elderly man.
According to Business Standard, the man in question turned up in a wheelchair at the security check manned by CISF Sub Inspector Rajveer Singh. Due to his lack of eye contact with the official, suspicions were raised.
Authorities revealed, “The appearance and skin texture of the passenger seemed to be much younger than mentioned in the passport. On deep observation, it was noticed that he had coloured his hairs and beard with white colour. He was also wearing zero power glasses to conceal his age.”
NDTV reports that he has been handed over to immigration officials. His motive of impersonation is still unknown and an investigation is underway. We hope that people who flout security norms and put other passengers at risk are punished adequately to curb such instances in the future.