32-Year-Old Man Poses as a Senior Citizen to Fly to U.S.: 'He Was Definitely Not 80 Years Old'

A 32-year-old man reportedly posed as a senior citizen at India’s Indira Gandhi International Airport in order to fly to the United States.

According toCNN, Jayesh Patel was trying to get on an overnight flight to New York on Sunday night, dressed in a white tunic, a turban, black slippers and a large fake white beard.

“He posed as if he was very old and incapacitated,” Shrikant Kishore, a senior official with the Central Industrial Security Force, told CNN.

“Our screener asked the person in the wheelchair to stand,” Kishore explained. “He said that he cannot stand. Our screener asked if he would stand with support. He reluctantly stood up.”

Central Industrial Security Force

According to CNN, one of the security officers at the airport noticed that the roots of Patel’s hair were black, not matching his white beard. Patel was also reportedly avoiding the officer’s eyes.

Patel then reportedly presented a passport that identified him as Amrick Singh, 81 years old.

“He was definitely not 80 years old. His skin was of a younger person,” Kishore told CNN.

Jayesh Patel.Central Industrial Security Force

Kishore told CNN that he doesn’t know why Patel decided to impersonate an elderly person, or what what the current status of his case is. The Central Industrial Security Force spokesperson told PEOPLE that Patel was later handed over to police officials “for further action.”

source: people.com