Man with coronavirus disguises as wife on Indonesian flight
TERNATE, Indonesia (AP) — An Indonesian man with the coronavirus boarded a domestic flight disguised as his wife, wearing a niqab covering his face and carrying fake IDs and a negative PCR test result.
But the cover didn’t last long.
Police say a flight attendant aboard a Citilink plane traveling from Jakarta to Ternate in North Maluku province on Sunday noticed the man change the clothes in the lavatory.
“He bought the plane ticket with his wife’s name and brought the identity card, the PCR test result and the vaccination card with his wife’s name. All documents are under his wife’s name,” Ternate police chief Aditya Laksimada said after arresting the man upon landing. He was only identified by his initials.
Police took him for a COVID-19 test, which came back positive.
The man is currently self-isolating at home, and police said the investigation will continue.
Indonesia is in the grip of the worst coronavirus surge in Asia with 33,772 new confirmed cases and 1,383 deaths in the last 24 hours. The total number of reported cases is 2.9 million with 77,583 fatalities.
Restrictions on nonessential travel, including a mandatory negative coronavirus test, and public gatherings have been toughened over the Eid al-Adha holiday this week.
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AP Photo/Harmoko
In this July 18 photo, a man who used a fake identity arrives at the Sultan Babullah airport in Ternate, Indonesia. The man boarded a domestic flight disguised as his wife, wearing a niqab covering his face and carrying fake IDs and a negative PCR test result. He was arrested upon landing and tested positive for COVID-19.
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Muslims offer Eid al-Adha prayers in Kabul, Afghanistan, Tuesday, July 20, 2021. Eid al-Adha, or "Feast of the Sacrifice," commemorates the Quranic tale of Prophet Ibrahim's willingness to sacrifice his son as an act of obedience to God. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul)
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Muslim worshippers gather for Eid al-Adha prayer in the mixed Arab Jewish city of Jaffa, near Tel Aviv, Israel, Tuesday, July 20, 2021. The major Muslim holiday, at the end of the hajj pilgrimage to Mecca, is observed around the world by believers and commemorates prophet Abraham's pledge to sacrifice his son as an act of obedience to God. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)
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Muslims gather for prayers to celebrate Eid al-Adha, or Feast of Sacrifice, that commemorates the Prophet Ibrahim's faith in Nairobi, Kenya, Tuesday, July 20, 2021. Eid al-Adha marks the end of hajj. (AP Photo/Sayyid Abdul Azim)
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Palestinian women prepare sweets ahead of the Muslim Eid al-Adha holiday, in the West Bank city of Nablus, Monday, July. 19, 2021. Eid al-Adha, or Feast of Sacrifice, Islam's most important holiday marks the willingness of the Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham to Christians and Jews) to sacrifice his son, is to start on Tuesday with Muslims slaughtering animals and celebrating the end of their annual hajj pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia. (AP Photo/Majdi Mohammed)
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Khalil Hamra
Palestinian Muslims attend the prayer of the first day of Eid al-Adha in Gaza City, Tuesday, July. 20, 2021. During the Eid al-Adha, or Feast of Sacrifice, Muslims slaughter sheep or cattle to distribute portions of the meat to the poor. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)
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Khalil Hamra
Palestinian Muslims attend the prayer of the first day of Eid al-Adha in Gaza City, Tuesday, July. 20, 2021. During the Eid al-Adha, or Feast of Sacrifice, Muslims slaughter sheep or cattle to distribute portions of the meat to the poor. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)
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Khalil Hamra
Palestinian Muslims attend the prayer of the first day of Eid al-Adha in Gaza City, Tuesday, July. 20, 2021. During the Eid al-Adha, or Feast of Sacrifice, Muslims slaughter sheep or cattle to distribute portions of the meat to the poor. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)
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Khalil Hamra
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Khalil Hamra
Young girls play in front of a destroyed house as they celebrate the first day of Eid al-Adha holiday in town of Beit Hanoun, northern Gaza Strip, Tuesday, July. 20, 2021. Eid al-Adha, or the festival of sacrifice, is celebrated by Muslims around the world to commemorate Prophet Ibrahim's test of faith. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)
