“He Was Wearing Sunglasses”: Two Women Arrested Trying To Board Dead Relative Onto Airliner
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Two women have been arrested after they allegedly tried to smuggle their dead relative on to a passenger plane.
The corpse was pushed in on a wheelchair – complete with sunglasses – to try to fool staff at the check in desk at Liverpool John Lennon Airport, it is claimed.
The man’s body had been driven to the airport in a taxi after the women told the driver he was asleep.
But as his two companions attempted to check the dead man in for a flight to Berlin on Saturday, staff became suspicious and alerted the authorities.
The two women were arrested at the scene.
It is understood the 91-year-old German national had died a day earlier, and an attempt was being made to smuggle his body back to his homeland.
A source said: ‘The airport staff at the check in were not happy with the situation.
The women, aged 44 and 66, are currently being questioned ‘on suspicion of failing to give notification of a death’.
The body was brought to the airport from a house in Oldham.
An airport source said: ‘They tried to get him in by a wheelchair. He was wearing sunglasses.
‘He was dead before they got him in the taxi and he had been dead for a day.’
The cab driver is said to have been left ‘upset and devastated’ after being informed.
It is believed the two women attempted to smuggle the body back to avoid repatriation fees, which can be as much as £3,000.
Merseyside Police confirmed the man was dead on arrival at the airport.
A spokesman said: ‘We are investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of a 91-year-old German male passenger at JLA, due to fly out to Berlin on Saturday.
‘Two people are helping police with their enquiries.
‘We are still investigating the exact circumstances of the death, but don’t believe it is murder or manslaughter at this stage.’
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) became involved because the family are from Oldham.
A GMP spokesperson said: ‘At 11am on April 3, police at JLA alerted us to the death of a 91-year-old male in the airport building.
‘Two women, aged 41 and 66, are helping police with enquiries on suspicion of failing to give notification of a death.’
The airport remained open throughout the incident and a JLA spokesperson said: ‘We are co-operating with police in their investigation.’
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