Major Security Lapse At Delhi Airport As UK National Flees During Layover

A major security lapse was reported at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport last week when a British national, who was to be deported to London, fled the immigration counter and entered the city.

The foreigner, who was identified as Fitz Patrick, was to travel to London from Bangkok with a layover in New Delhi.

He arrived in the city on October 28 but slipped out of the immigration area while completing formalities and fled the airport. 

The foreigner managed to evade security checks and fled the airport, police sources said.

A massive search operation has been launched to trace the UK national, they added. 

Various probe agencies are trying to ascertain how the deportee managed to escape the airport. 

A First Information Report (FIR) has been registered and the concerned airline staff are also being interrogated in connection with the security lapse, the sources said.

"A security lapse was reported at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport after a British national, who was to be deported to the UK via Thailand, escaped from the immigration area and entered the city. Delhi Police and security agencies have launched a search operation and filed an FIR while questioning airline staff," a senior police officer said.

The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), responsible for airport security, along with the Bureau of Immigration and Delhi Police, has launched a coordinated effort to locate the fugitive. 

Airport CCTV footage is being scanned to determine the sequence of events and identify possible lapses that led to the escape, officials said.