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Authorities in Morocco arrested in the past week three people for using fake PCR tests, while three others were arrested in connection with an investigation into the smuggling of equipment and pharmaceutical products, as well as the trafficking of fake Covid tests.
Three false health certificates and 20 false Covid tests were seized during police searches of the suspects’ residences, according to police sources. Police in Casablanca reported on Friday the arrest of two individuals, including one minor, for attempting to travel using fake COVID-19 PCR tests.
Read Also: Moroccan Police Arrest Six People on Suspicion of Selling Fraudulent PCR Results
In a similar incident, two individuals were arrested while attempting to board a flight from Casablanca to Turkey in August. The suspects reportedly presented false COVID-19 results to officials at the airport, violating border control procedures.
The incident occurred on the same day that Morocco’s public prosecutor announced a crackdown on fraudulent COVID-19 documents.
In a statement, the office of the Public Prosecutor vowed to “use all appropriate means to detect cases of fraud” as Morocco continues to work towards containing COVID-19. There have been several reports of the use of false COVID-19 documentation in recent weeks.
In August, a high-level government meeting was held at the Ministry of the Interior, to address the worrying increase in forged COVID-19 paperwork. During the meeting, officials accused holders of fake certificates of “compromising the national vaccine campaign” by traveling and potentially spreading COVID-19 to various parts of the country.
With opportunists taking advantage of the pandemic, the manufacture of fake COVID-19 documents is an issue that is afflicting several countries around the world. Law enforcement officials in many countries report finding forged COVID-19 document vendors on social media sites such as Telegram and Snapchat.
Since the state of health emergency came into force in Morocco, the national security services have dealt with 176 similar incidents and arrested 341 people accused of trafficking false health certificates and passports.
Read Also: Morocco’s Vaccinated Populations Reach 19.42 Million
