Surveillance footage has revealed how a Russian woman, Svetlana Dali, managed to board a Paris-bound flight from JFK airport without a ticket or passport last November. Taking advantage of the Thanksgiving travel rush, Dali navigated through several security checkpoints by blending in with a group of passengers and sneaking past inattentive gate agents. Initially turned away for lacking a boarding pass, she accessed a special screening area for airport employees and joined a group of passengers on the other side. She was then allowed through a gate without her ID being checked. During the flight, Dali hid in the aircraft’s bathroom during take-off but was eventually discovered by crew members and detained. She was extradited back to New York, where she was arrested. After cutting off her ankle monitor and attempting to cross into Canada via bus, she was arrested again. Dali, who has pleaded not guilty to stowing away on an aircraft, awaits trial in May, though her attorneys are reportedly negotiating a plea deal.
— new from The Daily Beast
