Schwechat incident

Blind passenger in Vienna: proceedings dropped

There was a security breach at Vienna-Schwechat Airport at the beginning of February.(Bild: ©ArtushFoto - stock.adobe.com)

A 27-year-old man managed to board a plane to China at Vienna Schwechat Airport without a passport or ticket. Following the worrying incident, the police submitted a report to the Korneuburg public prosecutor's office - but the prosecuting authority found the central element of fraud missing.

"We received a report from the police, but have discontinued the proceedings," confirmed a spokesperson for the public prosecutor's office in Korneuburg (Lower Austria) in response to an inquiry from the "Krone" newspaper. The police had investigated the Afghan, who cheated his way through passport and boarding control at Vienna-Schwechat Airport on February 5 without having the appropriate papers, on suspicion of fraud.

The man remains silent about his motive
As reported, the 27-year-old had hidden in the lavatory of a Chinese airline's plane and was only discovered in the air by the surprised crew. He was later transferred back to Vienna by the Chinese authorities. According to investigators, the man did not provide any information about his reasons for flying to China as a stowaway, even back in Austria.

The man boarded the plane unnoticed. This means that the offense of deception is not fulfilled.

Ein Sprecher der Staatsanwaltschaft Korneuburg

No one was deceived by the cheating
In this respect, a possible trial against the person entitled to asylum could have shed light on the matter. But this will not happen. Because fraud presupposes that someone has been deceived. However, since the man managed to get on the plane unnoticed, "the element of deception is not fulfilled", according to the public prosecutor.

The passport- and ticketless trip to China has no criminal consequences for the Afghan. However, administrative criminal proceedings for violation of the Border Control Act are still ongoing.