Aviation police officers have arrested 23 travellers who turned up at Entebbe International airport with forged PCR COVID-19 test certificates.
The suspects include 13 men and 10 women who have been detained at Aviation police station at the airport. Patrick Onyango, the Kampala Metropolitan spokesperson says the suspects will be charged with forgery and uttering forged documents.
The suspects include 13 men and 10 women who have been detained at Aviation police station at the airport. Patrick Onyango, the Kampala Metropolitan spokesperson says the suspects will be charged with forgery and uttering forged documents.
According to Onyango, travellers with forged COVID-19 negative certificates have been giving the country a negative image and police are now on a hunt for those behind the forgeries.
All travellers going through Entebbe airport are required to present a negative PCR COVID-19 test certificate issued within 120 hours before their departure time while incoming passengers must have a negative PCR COVID-19 test certificate issued within 72 hours before their flight.
The new guidelines came into effect October 1 when the government reopened the airport for commercial flights after a six-month lockdown. Information obtained from the airport shows that more than 50 departing passengers have missed their flights because of failure to present valid PCR COVID-19 test certificates.
According to Dr James Eyul, the director Kazuri Medical Services based at the airport and supporting the ministry of Health teams at the airport, some of the passengers missed their flights because their certificates had expired.
Eyul, who is an aviation and public health specialist says 1-3 passengers have however been turning up at the airport daily with forged COVID-19 test certificates. He explains that health officers have been deployed at the departures and arrivals sections to authenticate the COVID-19 test certificates.
The new guidelines came into effect October 1 when the government reopened the airport for commercial flights after a six-month lockdown. Information obtained from the airport shows that more than 50 departing passengers have missed their flights because of failure to present valid PCR COVID-19 test certificates.
According to Dr James Eyul, the director Kazuri Medical Services based at the airport and supporting the ministry of Health teams at the airport, some of the passengers missed their flights because their certificates had expired.
Eyul, who is an aviation and public health specialist says 1-3 passengers have however been turning up at the airport daily with forged COVID-19 test certificates. He explains that health officers have been deployed at the departures and arrivals sections to authenticate the COVID-19 test certificates.
"Public or private, everybody, immediately the test is done, it is loaded unto the system and we're able to log into that system for the authenticity of results. So right from day one, we netted one person who was exiting the country with a forged PCR certificate. He forged a negative certificate when we checked in the system, we found he was positive and immediately we got him and informed the police and handed him to the courts of law. Also on arrivals, we're able to detect people who have forged. For example, there was a lady when we scanned, the system was showing a shopping mall in Dubai. We also had persons who actually had forged certificates, took samples when they were positive, they have been discharged," Eyul said.
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