Hoping to find a job and a shot at a better life, an Ahmedabad resident, had gone to great lengths to fly to the United States. Jayesh Patel (32) got a fake name - Amrik Singh and disguised himself as an 81-year-old man by getting his hair and beard dyed grey.
On September 8, 2019, with a new passport, Patel managed to get past the initial security check as well as the immigration officials, however, his American dream came crashing down when he was caught by security officers just before he was to catch a flight to New York.
"A man named Jayesh Patel reached Terminal-3 of IGI (Indira Gandhi International Airport) airport on Sunday on a wheelchair posing as an elderly man. He even tricked the initial security check and got his immigration cleared," Hemendra Singh, the spokesperson of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) told news agency IANS.
"CISF was suspicious about him as his voice didn't match his age. Despite grey hair, his skin seemed to be quite young as there were hardly any wrinkles on his face," the CISF spokesperson said.
Patels original identity was revealed after he was put through detailed checks.
The entire plan was hatched by Patel along with an agent called Bharat who promised him that he will get the required documents ready and send him to the US. The two had also made a deal that when he reaches the US, Patel will send the agent Rs 30 lakh.
The agent put Patel in touch with his Delhi-based aide. The US aspirant was taken to a hotel in Delhi where a make-up artist made him look like an 81-year-old man.
"He was planning to go to the US for a job. But his profile was such that he would not have gotten a visa easily. With a fake name - Amrik Singh, a fake address, he managed to get a passport and a US visa," senior police officer Sanjay Bhatia told NDTV.
"His beard was grown and hair was dyed grey. He was made to wear a pair of thick glasses and a turban. He was also instructed to walk like an elderly person," the officer said. "We've never seen a similar case at the Delhi airport before," he added.
Jayesh Patel's agent, the aide and the make-up artist are yet to be arrested.
(With inputs from agencies)
