Russian detained for forging airline ticket

NEWDELHI: A 35-year-old Russian national, Alkasei Gavrikov, who claimed he could not find an appropriate place to exchange $10 into rupees, allegedly forged an airline ticket to gain access into the Indira Gandhi International Airport on Wednesday to reach a currency exchange counter there.

The man was caught while trying to exit the terminal building after exchanging the notes. Police said the man admitted to having used a forged ticket to enter the airport and was arrested.

Around 3.30pm, the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel spotted the man trying to exit the departure terminal. A senior police officer said since a passenger is not allowed to exit the departure terminal, the CISF men detained him.

When the personnel questioned Gavrikov, he showed them a flight ticket from Delhi to Bangkok. He had used the same ticket to enter the airport.

DCP (IGIA) Sanjay Bhatia said a closer look at the ticket raised suspicion. “When the CISF checked with the airline, it was found that the ticket was forged. The CISF then handed him over to the police. When we questioned him, he said he had landed in Delhi from Russia the same morning. He said he wanted to exchange $10 into rupees and, therefore, used the forged ticket. However, he could not specify how he forged the ticket,” Bhatia said, adding that there was a problem in communicating with him as he only spoke Russian.

We registered a case against him and he was later released on bail, the DCP said.

The Delhi airport rules allow only those with a valid ticket to enter the terminal. One can go up to the security hold area in the terminal, where CISF personnel check tickets and allow grant access. The CISF is trying to come up with a technology to prevent passengers from entering the airport using forged tickets.