Detainees escape when imposters take their place

"Ten Iraqis being held in a British military detention center in Basra carried out an audacious escape plan over the past several days: they switched places with visitors, British authorities said Friday.
An 11th detainee was missing, but no one appeared to have been substituted for him, British authorities said. The detention center is at a British base on the outskirts of Basra.
The escape came to light on Thursday, when it became apparent that 'one person was not who he said he was,' said a spokesman, speaking on condition of anonymity. The military began to investigate and found that nine other detainees were also substitutes. The real ones had walked out the door, apparently after swapping clothes with their willing stand-ins, British officials said.
The substitutions were carefully plotted, and the imposters “were remarkably well prepared,” the spokesman said.
'They looked the same,' he said. 'They knew the stories of the people they were substituting for. It was quite a sophisticated effort, very carefully planned.' "

source
Rubin, Alissa J. (The New York Times). 10 Detainees Pull Off Escape as Visitors Take Their Place. March 17, 2007.

posted: monday, march 19, 2007, 10:58 PM ET

tags: iraq imposter