An official statement has yet to be made on the case involving a female foreigner who got on a plane at the Paro Airport without a ticket. The middle-aged woman is currently under police custody and officials say the case is still under investigation. But BBS was able to find out that the woman already deceived a number of people before making her way to the Paro Airport.
Last Monday, the lady stopped a taxi headed for Thimphu almost three kilometres away from the Rinchhending check post in Chhukha. After reaching Thimphu in the afternoon, the passenger didn’t have money to pay the taxi fare.
BBS was able to locate and talk to the cab driver.
Requesting anonymity, the driver said that the woman started begging from a few shops and paid him Nu 300. She then fled after telling him she would come back with the rest of the money.
Towards the evening, the lady stopped another taxi at Chhuzom and headed towards Paro. The taxi driver told BBS that on reaching Paro, she then begged him to give her shelter for the night at his house as she didn’t have any money. But he refused and dropped her by the bridge near the Paro College of Education.
The woman then went to a hotel and spent the night there but did not order any food. Early the next morning, the woman left without paying the bill. All this was confirmed by the hotel owner.
The woman then made her way to Paro Airport.
According to Drukair, after she mysteriously skipped the security at the entrance gates, she proceeded to the check-in counters where she lied to the staff. She told them her ticket was with a relative who went ahead and that she would come back with it.
The airline company said she then “somehow” got through the immigration and security counters and straightaway went ahead to board the plane.
Drukair said the ground staff then communicated with the other team members. Upon verification, they found that the woman did not have a ticket or other documents and handed her over to security.
BBS also reached out to the Department of Air Transport but they were not available for comment.
Namgay Wangchuk
Edited by Yeshi Gyaltshen
