London: A couple was caught trying to smuggle their baby into the UAE when airport security spotted the five-month-old hidden in their luggage, it was reported here Monday.
The Egyptian husband and wife reportedly arrived at Sharjah International Airport Friday night but were denied entry as they did not have a visa for the newborn, the Daily Mail reported.
Airport authorities allowed them to stay until the relevant office re-opened on the Sunday but, getting impatient, they decided to chance their luck when the shift staff changed. They stashed the baby into a bag and bundled him through the scanner. But their plan became unstuck when security staff noticed the outline of the body on the screen.
A Sharjah Police spokesman said: "They were risking the life of the baby. "They said in an interrogation they`d resorted to sneaking him through inside a bag because he did not have a passport or visa and they wanted to have him with them in the UAE."
It is unclear how the child was initially placed onto the aircraft without a passport.
IANS