Child caught begging in an airplane after cruising through the Najaf airport security unnoticed

Shafaq News / It is bizarre to see a man or woman begging near an airport, let alone a child begging for money inside an airplane; an unbelievable scene straight out of a comedy show. Yet, this is exactly what happened at the Najaf International Airport.

The story began when a security source reported that a child managed to make his way through all the security checkpoints of the Najaf airport into an airplane taking off to Iran, asking the passengers for charity.

"The security officers on the plane noticed the child and halted the flight for more than two hours before evacuating the passengers from the plane to ensure that no other beggars were on board."

"After putting everyone on alert, the airport security force arrested the child and walked him outside the airport."

The Iraqi Civil Aviation Authority (I.C.A.A.) confirmed that an investigation committee had arrived in Najaf from Baghdad to look into the circumstances of the bizarre incident.

Another security source told Shafaq News agency that the child "managed to reach the garage area, where he stayed for a while begging travelers."

"The child was roaming the airport since the early hours of the morning without being stopped. He later went to the runway, where he boarded the Iranian plane (Iran Air 5318), which was about to take off. The security guard on board stopped the boy and asked for his boarding card, but the latter said he did not want to travel and just wanted to get home in al-Brakiya area."

The airport administration decided to exempt the airport's security chief following the serious security breach. The child, according to a source, is being held in the custody of the airport's security body.

"Following the incident, the Iraqi Counter-Terrorism-Service asked to take over the airport security instead of the security company currently in charge," according to an informed source.