Gaya: Twelve passengers arriving on a chartered flight from Cambodia were detained at Gaya Airport on Thursday after immigration officials found they were travelling without valid visas. The group, which included five Buddhist monks and seven female devotees, was barred from leaving the airport and made to stay overnight in the terminal building.
Awadhesh Kumar, the director-in-charge of Gaya Airport, said that 150 passengers had arrived as part of a chartered service from Cambodia, but routine checks revealed that 12 lacked proper documentation. By the time the verification process ended, the return flight to Cambodia had already departed, leaving the passengers stranded.
“They did not have visas. As the outbound flight had left by the time checks were completed, they are being held at the airport. Arrangements are being made to deport them to Cambodia via Thailand on Friday,” Kumar said.
According to some of the passengers, visa applications had been submitted before travel but were not processed in time, leaving them without clearance upon arrival. Many tourists and Buddhist pilgrims routinely travel to Gaya from Thailand, Myanmar, Bhutan and Vietnam, as well as through chartered flights from Cambodia. Most typically arrive on tourist visas, making Thursday’s incident unusual.
Airport authorities said efforts were under way to coordinate with Cambodian and Thai officials to facilitate the group’s return. The passengers remained inside the airport overnight under the supervision of immigration and airport staff.
