Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Passenger escorted onto plane by armed officers

135 replies

latesummerreminiscing · 30/08/2025 19:34

I took a flight from Germany to the UK yesterday and noticed at the gate were two armed officers waiting with a paper document at the gate. Then, that particular passenger was escorted onto the plane before anyone else, by both officers, they filled out paperwork before the rest were allowed onto the flight. No police were not with him on the flight though. He was in the front seat and very calm during the flight. What on earth was this about?? Lots of people were really worried

OP posts:
Frankenpug23 · 30/08/2025 20:20

Probably deported? as they didn’t have the right paperwork??

JustPinkFinch · 30/08/2025 20:20

latesummerreminiscing · 30/08/2025 20:10

Oh wow that's quite a story! Good of you to help him out.

Show quote history

He was lovely. I hope he's doing OK.

Pifflepafflewifflewaffle · 30/08/2025 20:19

HangryLikeTheHulk · 30/08/2025 19:39

British paedo being deported ?

Where does a ‘British paedo’ get deported to? 🙄

feellikeanalien · 30/08/2025 20:18

My ex-SIL's boyfriend got sent back on the return flight when he tried to re-enter the UK after a holiday in Spain because his visa had expired.

SummerEve · 30/08/2025 20:18

latesummerreminiscing · 30/08/2025 19:36

How do you mean, like kicked out of the country? I thought it was so odd that the officers were heavily armed!

Show quote history

Why? Police Officers in Europe tend to be armed.

AgentJohnson · 30/08/2025 20:11

FFS ! Do you think planes are chartered for deportees? If the passenger wasn’t being accompanied by police then he wasn’t deemed a threat. Sometimes the curtain twitching gene is stronger than common sense in some people.

Original poster
latesummerreminiscing · 30/08/2025 20:10

JustPinkFinch · 30/08/2025 20:08

I sat next to a guy once on a flight from USA to UK who had been deported and put on the plane by armed officers of some description. We chatted. He had been in prison in the US (drugs) and was immediately deported on release. Had nothing on him, not even a passport, just some papers for the other end, and a small hold all with clothes. No phone. Next to no cash. No bank account or cards. Once we got to Heathrow I let him make some calls from my phone and helped him sort out train tickets up to Liverpool where a brother lived. He'd been in prison for years. It was all quite mad, he was totally lost and bewildered stood in Heathrow with just the clothes on his back.

Edited

Oh wow that's quite a story! Good of you to help him out.

OP posts:
JustPinkFinch · 30/08/2025 20:08

I sat next to a guy once on a flight from USA to UK who had been deported and put on the plane by armed officers of some description. We chatted. He had been in prison in the US (drugs) and was immediately deported on release. Had nothing on him, not even a passport, just some papers for the other end, and a small hold all with clothes. No phone. Next to no cash. No bank account or cards. Once we got to Heathrow I let him make some calls from my phone and helped him sort out train tickets up to Liverpool where a brother lived. He'd been in prison for years. It was all quite mad, he was totally lost and bewildered stood in Heathrow with just the clothes on his back.

Biskieboo · 30/08/2025 20:00

Doubtless a convicted terrorist. The paperwork will have been the usual 'I [insert name] promise I will not blow up the plane I am about to board' attestation that they get them to sign in lieu of a search. Nothing to worry about.

LittleCarrot12 · 30/08/2025 19:59

If he travelled unaccompanied and wasn’t met at the other side it’s most likely he was returned due to UK due to immigration issues.

SinnerBoy · 30/08/2025 19:58

Have you not noticed that all Police in Germany are armed? Anyway, there have been plenty of good explanations.

TookTheBook · 30/08/2025 19:56

Pretty clearly someone who tried to enter Germany from the UK who was turned away and being returned by their regular airport police. Presumably a Brit with a soon to expire passport.

jonthebatiste · 30/08/2025 19:55

Ha - cross posted with MirrorMirror.

jonthebatiste · 30/08/2025 19:55

Yes - Germany looking to ensure he left, UK not concerned to receive him (eg for trial - so not an extradition). He was deported from Germany to they-couldn’t-care-less. He was obviously not dangerous or he would have had a police escort or have been met at disembarkation after a courtesy suggestion by Germany.

Original poster
latesummerreminiscing · 30/08/2025 19:54

MirrorMirrorontheFall · 30/08/2025 19:51

It sounds like a deportation. They’ll have escorted him on board to make sure he actually got on the flight. After that point, he’s not their problem, hence not being met at the other end or accompanied during the flight. Presumably there was no reason to suspect he was a safety risk, so no need for them to stay with him. They’ll have been armed because police officers in airports are routinely armed.

Oh this makes sense! Thank you so much!

OP posts:
NeatKoala · 30/08/2025 19:52

I have seen this a couple of time, once we had to wait quite a while for the "passenger" to board first.

Everyone was getting a lot more annoyed about the delay than anything else, can't see the captain happy to fly if there was any risk?

Someone too drunk would be kicked off, so the "passenger" can't be much of a risk

ItsATemporaryOne · 30/08/2025 19:52

German police are always armed and of course border security too. Likelihood he was being escorted out of the country. They are not going to care at the other end! That’s the UKs problem!

MirrorMirrorontheFall · 30/08/2025 19:51

It sounds like a deportation. They’ll have escorted him on board to make sure he actually got on the flight. After that point, he’s not their problem, hence not being met at the other end or accompanied during the flight. Presumably there was no reason to suspect he was a safety risk, so no need for them to stay with him. They’ll have been armed because police officers in airports are routinely armed.

Original poster
latesummerreminiscing · 30/08/2025 19:51

MaidOfSteel · 30/08/2025 19:49

Probably just refused entry to the UK on arrival. They get taken into the aircraft to make sure they’re on it, I imagine.

No but it was on the way to the UK. From a German airport to the UK

OP posts:
LavenderBlue19 · 30/08/2025 19:50

Well if he'd been escorted by police they would already have searched him, so no chance he'd have a weapon or anything on him.

I would assume a prisoner being extradited, but no police at the other end seems odd... maybe he just wasn't allowed in Germany for some reason, so was escorted out but was legally free to go in the UK?

All airport police are heavily armed.

MaidOfSteel · 30/08/2025 19:49

Probably just refused entry to the UK on arrival. They get taken into the aircraft to make sure they’re on it, I imagine.

PennySweeet · 30/08/2025 19:49

latesummerreminiscing · 30/08/2025 19:47

Exactly this! There were loads of children on the plane and lots of people seemed uneasy.

Show quote history

Sounds like he was no more of a possible threat than any other passenger, otherwise the police would've stayed with him 🤷‍♂️

Original poster
latesummerreminiscing · 30/08/2025 19:47

OfftoWorkIGo · 30/08/2025 19:40

I would have been keeping an eye on him myself! Surely if he was dangerous though the police would have stayed with him. On the other hand why did he have to be escorted on to the plane?

Exactly this! There were loads of children on the plane and lots of people seemed uneasy.

OP posts:
Original poster
latesummerreminiscing · 30/08/2025 19:46

BrendaSmall · 30/08/2025 19:42

Was he met at the other end by police officers or any other airport officials?

No, at least I didn't see it! That made it even more weird!

OP posts:
IAmTheLogLady · 30/08/2025 19:46

If it was anything to worry about I suppose he would have had the police stay with him.
I'm not sure why he was escorted on by police but I don't think it would worry me I would be really curious about what was happening though.