Three British Airways crew members who claimed they were robbed in Rio de Janeiro are now being accused of engaging in inappropriate behavior, including excessive drinking and drug use. The alleged incident caused a flight that the crew members were scheduled to work on to be delayed. The crew members, aged 40, 39, and 31, initially reported that their phones had been stolen by armed robbers while they were in the city in September. However, Brazilian police now believe that the entire story was fabricated in order to cover up their wild night out.

According to the investigation, the crew members lost their phones while partying and drinking heavily. CCTV footage was released showing the trio out at 4:50 am. Two of them claimed they were robbed after a taxi took them to an abandoned gas station, while the third crew member insinuated that he was spiked by a woman and woke up in the middle of the road with no memory. Police suspect that the third man was separated from the group after becoming unconscious due to excessive drinking. The authorities believe that the crew members created the false robbery story to justify their inappropriate behavior, which included consuming Class A drugs.

Patricia Alemany, Head of the Special Tourism Support Police, expressed disbelief at how a crew with such an important role would engage in such behavior knowing that they would be responsible for the safety of dozens of people on their flight. The incident has caused a delay in the flight from Rio de Janeiro to London's Heathrow Airport, and the crew members may face charges for falsely reporting a crime. British Airways has stated that they are leaving the matter to the police and are providing support to those involved. This incident follows another recent scandal involving a British Airways pilot who was reported to have snorted cocaine off a woman's chest while partying in South Africa before attempting to fly a flight to London.