Asian Master of Disguise Fools Officials in Hong Kong and Canada

Man uses unbelievable disguise to enter Canada, seeking asylum

Nov 05 2010

(AP Photo/Canada Border Services Agency)

A young Asian man disguised himself as an elderly white male and successfully boarded a flight to Vancouver, Canada, seeking refugee asylum.

An internal intelligence alert from the Canadian Border Service describes how the man boarded the flight in Hong Kong on Oct. 29 wearing a remarkable silicone mask that made him look like an elderly man.

A Canadian government official provided the document Friday on condition of anonymity as the official was not authorized to release it publicly.

The passenger began the flight as an "elderly Caucasian male who appeared to have young looking hands," the CBSA bulletin said. During the flight the man went to the washroom and came out as a young Asian male who appeared to be in his early 20s.

The man carried a bag that contained a "disguise kit which consisted of a silicone type head and neck mask of an elderly Caucasian male, a brown leather cap, glasses and a thin brown cardigan."

The man later admitted to officials he had boarded the flight with the mask on and had removed it several hours later. It is believed the man and another man performed a boarding pass swap. A government official said a U.S. passport was also involved.

Chris McCluskey, a spokesman for Public Safety Minister Vic Toews, said a man is in detention and said the matter is before Canada's Immigration and Refugee Board. A spokeswoman for the Immigration and Refugee Board declined comment.

Air Canada also confirmed a passenger on board flight AC018 had been met by border services officials in Vancouver.

"It should be noted that there are multiple identity checks before departure at the Hong Kong international airport, including Chinese government-run Hong Kong passport control, which Hong Kong originating passengers must undergo," according to an Air Canada spokeswoman. Apparently, all of these security checks failed miserably.

What it means for the rest of us is that the extremely high priced, intrusive, cumbersome, annoying and time wasting system of passenger identification is a colossal waste of time and resources. It should be jettisoned and forgotten.