RAWALPINDI: A sanitation worker of the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) was caught hiding on a special plane en route to the Netherlands at the Islamabad International Airport (IIA).

He was later sent to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Anti-Human Trafficking Cell (AHTC) for further investigation.

The aircraft was carrying staff of the Dutch embassy from Kabul to the Netherlands. In what could be considered a security breach, the worker – on duty at the airport’s transit lounge – changed into normal clothes that he had been carrying with him and boarded the plane that had 173 staff members of the Dutch embassy on board.

Dr Atif Ikram, additional director FIA (immigration), told Dawn that the sanitation worker was spotted when all of the 173 passengers – after transit - had embarked on the plane.

He said the FIA immigration had nothing to do with transit passengers as it was the responsibility of the handling agency to count the number of passengers to ensure their presence. While the passengers were being counted, the special flight crew spotted an extra person on board, he added.

After preliminary questioning, the worker was unable to explain his presence on the plane which led to his disembarkation and handing over to the security staff.

Published in Dawn, August 23rd, 2021