An Indonesian man infected with coronavirus went to extreme and unusual lengths to sneak into a flight back home — disguising himself as his wife and using her negative test to board the plane, authorities said.
The accused impostor, identified only by his initials, D.W., managed to slip through a security checkpoint at Jakarta’s Halim Perdanausuma International Airport over the weekend by wearing his wife’s burqa, a full-face veil worn by many Muslim women that only has an opening for the eyes, local media reported Monday.
The suspect then presented the woman’s negative PCR test result as his own and got into a Citilink flight toward his hometown of Ternate without any issues, according to Coconuts Jakarta.
But he apparently felt a bit too confident about his scheme — or perhaps too uncomfortable in a woman’s outfit — and ended up getting caught.
Halim Perdanakusuma International Airport
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After the plane had already taken off, a flight attendant reportedly noticed D.W. going into the bathroom as a woman and returning to his seat dressed as a man. The poorly timed change of clothes may now cost him his freedom as the crew member quickly notified authorities upon landing, Malaysian newspaper Malay Mail reported.
D.W. was detained by airport authorities in Tenarte and subjected to a COVID-19 test, which came out positive, according to the paper. He was ordered to self-isolate at home, where he would set to be monitored by police, before he can face charges, authorities said.
The incident comes as Indonesia overtakes India as Asia’s hotspot for new infections. The country of more than 270 million people has seen an alarming spike in new cases and deaths in recent weeks, with nearly 1,300 fatalities reported in just 24 hours Monday, according to the Johns Hopkins University’s Coronavirus Resource Center.
The crisis is Indonesia is likely far from over as only 6% of the population has been fully vaccinated.
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