Khaleej Times

DUBAI, Jul 6: It’s almost too bizarre to be true. And yet, it’s true that a Kenyan national did try to ship himself back home locked up inside a wooden cargo box. The human flight cargo, however, was discovered on Tuesday night by vigilant Dubai Customs officials and the Kenyan, an ex-Dnata staff identified only by his initials J.A., was handed over to the police.

The cramped 141x90x105cm wooden box in which J.A. had locked himself up was found to be stocked with food and water when it was forced open at Dubai International Airport’s Air Cargo Terminal.

The ‘shipment’ was scheduled to leave on board an Emirates airlines flight bound for Kenya on Wednesday. 

Confirming the incident, a Dnata spokesperson told Khaleej Times yesterday, “This is the first time Dnata has come across such an incident. J.A. was taken into police custody on Tuesday night after being found hidden inside a wooden cargo box that was tendered in for consolidation to Air Cargo Traders (ACT).” The shipment was to be uplifted on Wednesday (July 4) from Dubai to Kenya. 

“A police investigation is in progress and statements have been taken from ACT officials as well as the Dnata staff on duty. In fact, some ACT staff are still under police detention. Dnata is taking this incident extremely seriously and has already begun its own internal inquiry,” the spokesperson added.