Two men face charges for allegedly selling fake Covid vaccine records in Luton, undermining public health efforts during the pandemic
Luton: So, here’s the scoop. Two guys have been charged for allegedly whipping up fake Covid vaccine records and selling them online. Can you believe it?
The National Crime Agency teamed up with NHS England to dig into this mess. They found nearly 2,000 fake records made at a health center in Luton between June and October 2021. They even seized £145,000 in cash from a safety deposit box!
Waqas Hanif, 26, got nabbed by the NCA in January 2022. His buddy, Touqir Nasir, 29, showed up for a voluntary chat in March 2022. Both are facing some serious charges under the Computer Misuse Act and Fraud Act.
They’re also in hot water for dealing with criminal property and trying to pull off fraud by false representation. Hanif’s got an extra charge for possessing criminal property, too.
During the pandemic, it seems some folks who didn’t get vaccinated were paying for these fake vaccine passports. They were snagged from shady online marketplaces. The NCA thinks organized crime might have roped in healthcare pros to help churn out these fraudulent records, letting unvaccinated people travel while others were stuck with restrictions.
Deputy Director Paul Foster from the NCA’s Cyber Crime Unit said it’s all about choice when it comes to vaccines. But using the healthcare system to let unvaccinated folks dodge rules meant to keep everyone safe? That’s just wrong.
He added that this investigation is crucial for keeping our communities safe and stopping organized crime from cashing in on the chaos of the pandemic.
