A Russian woman with a U.S. Permanent residency permit was apprehended at Milan’s airport on Thursday after arriving from the United States without a valid ticket or passport, marking the second time she has circumvented stringent airport security measures.
Svetlana Dali, who was previously convicted of the same offense in 2024 and received a suspended sentence, was taken into custody, according to reports from NU.nl and Crime-Nieuws.nl. It remains unclear whether she will now be required to serve the previously suspended jail time.
The incident occurred at Milan’s airport, where Dali reportedly bypassed security at Newark Liberty International Airport – a major transportation hub on the U.S. East Coast – without presenting any travel documentation. Authorities have not yet disclosed how she managed to board a United Airlines flight without a ticket or passport.
This latest arrest follows a similar incident in November 2024, when Dali allegedly bypassed security at John F. Kennedy International Airport in Fresh York and flew to Paris without a passport or ticket. During that flight, she hid in an aircraft lavatory to avoid detection by cabin crew. She was ultimately apprehended in France and received a suspended sentence.
According to prosecutors, Dali attempted at least two other unsuccessful attempts to fly as a stowaway from the U.S. The FBI has declined to comment on the case, fueling speculation about her motives. The lack of transparency from law enforcement underscores the unusual nature of the case and raises questions about potential security vulnerabilities. This incident highlights the ongoing challenges in maintaining robust security protocols at major international airports.
The repeated breaches of security protocols raise concerns about potential weaknesses in airport security systems and the effectiveness of current screening procedures. Nieuwsbreak.nl reported that the woman had successfully repeated the act despite the strict security measures in place.
