The jet of the Russian national flag-carrying airline Aeroflot that underwent a surprise search by the British boarder guards at Heathrow airport on Friday landed at Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport in the small hours of Saturday, TASS reports.
Vitaly Mitrofanov, the captain of the Aeroflot crew said upon arrival in Moscow the British security officials had looked for the objects banned for transportation.
"After we landed at Heathrow and the passengers disembarked, a group of five or six people with a sniffing dog appeared and told the cabin crew they needed to inspect and search the jet in order to see whether or not there were prohibited objects aboard," Capt. Mitrofanov told Rossiya’24 news channel.
He said he was the only person whom the Britons allowed to stay aboard. The operation itself lasted from five to seven minutes. "They didn’t present any warrants to me or explain anything or actually tell me anything."
"I couldn’t even watch what they did," the captain said. "Rules say a flight attendant should escort every inspector. We agreed to this search only after taking counsel with the [Russian] Consul and navigation safety officials in order to complete the fight [make a return flight to Moscow - TASS]."
