Funny: Eight creative entrepreneurs unfortunately arrested over 'grumpy old man' plane disguise

Hong Kong authorities say they have arrested eight people in connection with the bizarre case of a Chinese man who flew to Canada last year disguised as an elderly caucasian male.

A ground staff employee at Hong Kong's international airport, along with two former airport employees, were among the suspects arrested at the weekend, an immigration department spokeswoman said.

Five men and three women have been accused of helping "illegal migrants board Canada-bound flights in at least five cases" including the man who donned a silicone mask to fool immigration officials, she added.

Funny: Eight creative entrepreneurs unfortunately arrested over 'grumpy old man' plane disguise 492675886-9copy-420x0

Funny: Eight creative entrepreneurs unfortunately arrested over 'grumpy old man' plane disguise 492675886-9copy-420x0

The man, who had "young-looking hands", shocked passengers when he was seen emerging from the airplane's washroom as a young Asian male during the flight in October, according to a Canada Border Services Agency (CSBA) report.

"We have arrested eight suspects," the immigration department spokeswoman said Monday.

"They are suspected of being involved in boarding pass swapping, passport selling and conspiracy to defraud the airline operator," she added.

The group charged about 300,000 yuan ($A45,000) for helping migrants enter Canada illegally between April and October last year, the spokeswoman said.

The suspects are believed to have supplied false papers to the migrants once they reached Hong Kong, a city of seven million that maintains a semi-autonomous status within China.

The Chinese man - who has not been identified and is believed to be in his twenties - sought asylum after arriving in Vancouver, and has since been detained by Canadian immigration officials.

Local media reports said he is from China's Fujian province.

The mask worn by the man was manufactured in the US by SPFX Masks and is called 'The Elder'. It retails for $1259 with hair and eyebrows. The hairless version of the same mask sells for $689. The company's website says the mask's persona is called 'Jerry Atrick', a former criminal, who is now a grumpy old man.

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Funny: Eight creative entrepreneurs unfortunately arrested over 'grumpy old man' plane disguise

Funny: Eight creative entrepreneurs unfortunately arrested over 'grumpy old man' plane disguise

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