Swapped boarding passes at Mumbai airport, flew to different countries. But their plan failed

After passing security check and immigration, Jenarthanan Sasanantham (22), the Sri Lankan, and Santosh Thangaratnam (36), the German citizen, had allegedly exchanged their boarding passes for Kathmandu and London, respectively at an airport toilet.

The matter came to light when an attendant of an airline company noticed that the departure stamp on the passport of the Sri Lankan citizen appeared to be forged. It was also found that the departure stamp number on the passport was different from the stamp number on his boarding pass.

The Sri Lankan national, who had reached the UK, was later deported to Mumbai and during enquiry, he told that he wanted to go to the UK for a better career opportunity, news reports said.

The police also apprehended the German citizen who had the Kathmandu-bound boarding pass. During interrogation of the two foreigners, it came to light that both stayed in a plush hotel near the airport in Mumbai on April 9 and hatched the plan to swap their boarding passes, news reports said, citing officials.

“As planned, Sasanantham was holding a fake British passport (in Thangaratnam’s name), with which he managed to clear immigration check and got a boarding pass to fly to Kathmandu. Thangaratnam got a boarding pass to travel to the UK. They went to a toilet and exchanged the boarding passes and continued. While the German didn’t face any hurdle and flew to Kathmandu, the Sri Lankan was caught when the wing in charge spotted differences in the passport immigration stamp,” a police officer told Times of India.

The Sahar police here have booked two persons under sections for cheating, forgery and criminal conspiracy and are investigating if more people involved in the crime.