A British man flew from London’s Heathrow airport to New York’s John F Kennedy airport without a ticket or a passport on Christmas Eve, according to multiple reports.
Craig Sturt, 46, was detained when he landed in New York and shipped back to the UK on a charter flight, the The Telegraph newspaper reported.
Investigators believe Sturt, who is 6ft tall, sneaked behind other passengers at a passport check and during boarding of the British Airways flight, according to the Telegraph.
Heathrow officials insisted that Sturt must have undergone security screening, Sky News reported. However, they provided no explanation for how he cleared security and customs checks without any documents.
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“All people who go airside are subject to security screening, including the individual involved in this case,” a spokesperson told the outlet.
Sturt slipped on to a Boeing 787 Dreamliner at Heathrow’s Terminal 5 without a ticket, authorities told Sky News. Evidently, security at JFK airport was tighter, as Sturt was apprehended when attempting to clear customs without documentation.
US authorities put Sturt on a plane back to the UK on Christmas Day, and he was detained upon arrival, Sky News reported. He was charged with fraud and Aviation Security Act offences.
Sturt was expected in court on January 25, but he never showed up, according to Sky News. A warrant was issued for his arrest and he remains on the run.
“We continue to work with all our partners to review and enhance the already robust security measures in place which are kept under constant review by the wider security partnership,” London police told Sky News.