Passenger’s disguise unmasks security flaw

HALIFAX, Nova Scotia – U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said Saturday that the case of a young Chinese man who boarded a flight to Canada elaborately disguised as an elderly white male raises concerns about a security breach that terrorists might exploit.

Authorities have not suggested any terrorist link to the case of the man who boarded the Air Canada flight in Hong Kong on Oct. 29 wearing a remarkably detailed silicone mask to make him look like an elderly man. An internal intelligence alert from the Canadian Border Services Agency says the man removed the mask in a washroom midflight.

Air Canada confirmed a passenger had altered his appearance and had been met by border officials in Vancouver, B.C. The man is seeking refugee status in Canada in what officials call an “unbelievable case of concealment.”