Passengers with forged covid test certificates caught at Tallinn Airport
The Police and Border Guard (PPA) have initiated criminal proceedings against five people who presented forged negative coronavirus test certificates at Tallinn Aiport.
The travelers presented certificates supposedly from private medical company SYNLAB.
On Thursday, the company checked the certificates against its database and realised they were fakes, PPA spokesperson Kristjan Lukk said. Criminal proceedings were started for use of a forged document.
A fine or three-year prison sentence can be handed down for using a fraudulent document.
Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, Minister of the Interior Kristian Jaani explained the situation: "We got a tip from SYNLAB that counterfeit certificates are in use. This morning people from SYNLAB and the PPA visited Tallinn Airport to carry out checks. We checked about 500 people who wanted to travel by plane and we identified five counterfeit certificates."
PPA spokesperson Marge Sillaots said that similar inspections between the PPA, the airport and SYNLAB are planned in the future.
Many countries currently require travelers to present a negative coronavirus test on arrival, usually taken within 72 hours of departure. These are often checked before boarding.
--
Follow ERR News on Facebook and Twitter and never miss an update!
Editor: Helen Wright
