Airline officials, border personnel and Parliament Hill politicians were all keeping tight-lipped Friday about the stunning spy-novel saga of a young Asian man who boarded a transcontinental Air Canada flight while clad in an elaborate disguise that made him appear to be an elderly passenger.
The man — Canadian officials were barely willing to acknowledge his existence Friday, let alone identify him — was seeking refugee status in Vancouver in what an internal Canada Border Services Agency bulletin described as an "unbelievable case of concealment."
The Nov. 1 bulletin, first revealed late Thursday by CNN, came complete with an eyebrow-raising set of before-and-after photos that showed the man in various stages of his disguise, which included flourishes like a leather flat cap, plain brown cardigan and eyeglasses.
The centrepiece, however, was a remarkably detailed, realistic-looking fleshtone mask, which appeared to be made of silicone or rubber and came complete with a bulbous, misshapen nose, thin, pursed lips and a half-century's worth of pockmarks, fissures and wrinkles.
The bulletin, written at times in an awestruck tone, described how the man boarded Flight AC018 in Hong Kong on Oct. 29, and looked for all the world to crew members like an old Caucasian man who, curiously enough, "appeared to have young looking hands."
Later in the flight, however, "the subject attended the washroom and emerged an Asian-looking male that appeared to be in his early 20s."
The bulletin, which was posted to the Internet by CNN, said border services officials believe the young man managed to get on the plane with nothing more than an Aeroplan card and a boarding pass that he somehow obtained from a 55-year-old American passenger.
"As neither Aeroplan cards nor boarding passes reflect dates of birth, it may not have been difficult for the very elderly looking imposter to pass himself off as a 55-year-old man," the bulletin said.
On Friday, few Canadian officials were forthcoming with additional details.
The agency did eventually acknowledge the myriad media reports about the disguise, but would not confirm the bulletin as its own. The CBSA "did not officially release the report or the photo, and we will not be doing so," it said in a statement.
The agency did confirm, however, that border services officials "intercepted and detained the traveller attempting to enter Canada under false pretenses." It said the traveller is currently being detained and would be appearing before the Immigration and Refugee Board.
"Protecting the integrity of our borders and safety of Canadians remains the top priority of the CBSA," the statement said. Transport Canada was investigating whether "Identity Screening Regulations were respected," it added.
John Babcock, press secretary to Transport Minister Chuck Strahl, acknowledged the incident, but said little else.
"Air carriers are supposed to look at a passenger's entire face to determine if they appear to be over 18, and if so, compare their physical appearance with their travel documents," he said.
Government House Leader John Baird called the perceived security breach a "deep concern" and promised a "full investigation."
"Obviously, we’re going to get the facts first," Baird said when asked whether the incident could damage the reputation of Canada's ability to secure its borders.
"We’ve seen some of the facts come out with the report. There’s going to be a full investigation and we’ll await the results of that."
Public Safety Minister Vic Toews had been briefed on the incident, added spokesman Chris McCluskey.
"We can also confirm that the subject is currently in CBSA detention," McCluskey said. "As for operational security matters, and matters before the Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB), I cannot help you with further comment."
All passengers flying to Canada from Hong Kong undergo multiple security checks before arriving at the Air Canada gates, Reber added. Those checks include the Chinese government-run Hong Kong passport control.
The CBSA bulletin said the man made a claim for refugee status after he was escorted off the aircraft.
It said the man initially claimed to own one bag, but flight crew turned over two additional pieces of baggage thought to belong to him. One of them contained a "disguise kit" with a "silicone-type head and neck mask," a brown leather cap, glasses and a thin brown cardigan.
The bulletin said the man proceeded to put on the disguise for border services officers, who then noted that he "very much resembled" an elderly Caucasian man, and even mimicked the movements of an elderly person.
The bulletin, which carried the breathless headline "Unbelievable Case of Concealment," said the man admitted to officials that he had boarded the flight with the mask on and had removed it several hours later.
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