A man has been arrested at an Indian airport for masquerading as an 81-year-old to enter the United States.

Jayesh Patel, 32, was arrested after trying to board a flight to New York at India’s Indira Gandhi International Airport.

Patel was stopped by the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) after making it through initial security checks and past immigration officials, a spokesperson for CISF told news outlet IANS.

Disguised in glasses, make-up, a turban and a dyed beard, “he was planning to go to the US for a job,” a senior police officer told local media, as reported by ABC13.

“But his profile was such that he would not have gotten a visa easily,” the officer said.

“With a fake name – Amrik Singh, a fake address, he managed to get a passport and a US visa. We’ve never seen a similar case at the Delhi airport before.”

According to Times of India, Patel had hired an agent who acquired immigration documentation for him and arranged for him to be aged-up by a make-up artist.

The artist asked him to grow his beard and coloured his hair and beard white, made him wear a turban and gave him thick-lensed glasses to complete the get-up.  He was also advised to use a wheelchair in the airport, according to Times of India.

On Monday, CISF tweeted that it had nabbed two passengers, one each for impersonation and carrying dual passports, at Indira Gandhi International Airport, New Delhi. The passengers were handed over to Delhi Police officials.

In two separate incidents, #CISF nabbed two passengers, one each for impersonation and carrying dual passports at IGI Airport, New Delhi. Passengers handed over to Delhi Police officials. pic.twitter.com/Mo7Gazeeox

— CISF (@CISFHQrs) September 9, 2019

Featured image: Twitter/@CISFHQrs