VANCOUVER - A young Asian man managed to board an Air Canada flight in Hong Kong Oct. 29 while disguised as an elderly Caucasian male. The man is seeking refugee status in Vancouver in what the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) has called “unbelievable case of concealment.”
The unnamed man wore a silicone-mask. The story has made headlines around the world. It emerged the previous night from CNN, which obtained a copy of an alert issued by the Canadian border agency.
The alert describes how the man boarded Flight AC018 in Hong Kong on Oct. 29 wearing glasses, a brown cardigan sweater, a leather flat cap and a remarkable silicone mask which made him look like an elderly Caucasian man.
Officials believe the man got on the plane with an Aeroplan card and a boarding pass which belonged to a 55-year-old American man - neither of which reflect dates of birth.
The Asian man made a claim for refugee status after he was escorted off the aircraft.
Nov. 5, 2010