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A man’s journey from Europe to the western US has sparked an investigation as he did not possess a ticket, passport, visa, or any evidence of being on the flight. The passenger has stated that he is unsure of how he managed to accomplish this.
According to court records, Sergey Vladimirovich Ochigava, who holds dual citizenship in Russia and Israel, traveled from Copenhagen to Los Angeles on a Scandinavian Airlines flight on November 4th without any form of identification or a boarding pass.
In an unexpected turn of events, officials at a customs and border checkpoint in California found that he was not included on the list of passengers for the flight from Denmark, or any other flights entering the United States.
According to the report on the incident, the majority of the flight crew observed Mr. Ochigava as he wandered around the plane and frequently changed his seat.
He requested two meals during each meal service and at one point, tried to eat the chocolate that belonged to the flight attendants.
The crew did not check his boarding pass and observed that the seat he initially sat in was supposed to be empty.
According to the report, a few crew members did head counts for their designated areas, but solely for the purpose of ensuring the aircraft’s balance during take-off and landing. They did not add up the numbers.
The FBI is currently investigating how the passenger managed to travel from Denmark to the US. According to an agent, the individual, who has been accused of stowing away on an aircraft, is now in custody. This information was reported by Fox News.
Caroline Walling, the agent who submitted the complaint, stated that Mr. Ochigava asserted he had been awake for three days and was confused about the situation.
He mentioned that he may have had a plane ticket to travel to the United States, but he was uncertain. He also claimed he couldn’t recall how he boarded the plane in Copenhagen.
She mentioned that he was also unable to remember how he passed through airport security at the Danish airport.
Mr Oschigava permitted officers to view the photos on his device during his interview. According to the report, the last photo on his camera roll was of television screens showing flight information for various destinations such as Amsterdam, Munich, Lisbon, Malaga, London, etc.
The Independent was informed by a spokesperson from Copenhagen Airport that a man managed to board the flight without a ticket or passport.
Our surveillance shows that he entered without a valid ticket. Copenhagen Airport has given photo and video evidence to the authorities for their investigation. We are taking this matter seriously and will incorporate it into our ongoing efforts to enhance security by adjusting and strengthening our guidelines.
The airline has acknowledged the incident, but a representative from Scandinavian Airlines stated that the situation is being addressed by authorities in both the US and Denmark. They are unable to provide any further comment at this time.
Source: independent.co.uk
