Cops arrest five more suspects in fake Covid-19 test results ring

Five more suspects have been arrested as part of an ongoing probe into an operation that was producing fake Covid-19 test result slips sold for RM50 to foreign workers.

Kuala Lumpur police chief Mazlan Lazim (photo) said the five foreign nationals aged between 26 and 30 years old were arrested on Tuesday night along Jalan Tengkat Tung Shin near the city centre.

"All of the suspects were working as labourers for a construction company in Kuala Lumpur.

"Police also seized five mobile phones and a copy of a Covid-19 screening result with the name Lablink Medical Laboratory," he said in a statement. 

Following the detention of the five suspects and an initial arrest of two other foreign nationals on Tuesday, Mazlan said police have received three more reports in connection with forged Covid-19 screening results.

In all three cases, he said the hospital or laboratory stated on the forged documents was contacted by employers who wished to confirm the test results.

"Upon verification, the hospital or laboratory found that the patient's name as stated in the Covid-19 test result report was not listed in its records.

"The doctor who supposedly performed the screening was also not attached to the hospital or laboratory stated in the document," he said.

Mazlan said further investigations are ongoing under Section 468/471 of the Penal Code related to the forging of documents and knowingly using a forged document, punishable with a maximum seven years imprisonment or fine.

He added that the case is also being probed under Section 22(D) of the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act 1988, as well as Section 6(1)(C) of the Immigration Act.

The arrests came in the wake of a recent outbreak of Covid-19 among undocumented migrant workers held at four immigration depots, which has since been contained.

Health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah previously said the Covid-19 test result document was not useful as it is only valid at the time of testing and should not be used to determine the status of the individual after that.

However, Defence Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob yesterday urged the public to insist their hairdressers produce a letter confirming they are negative of Covid-19 if the hairdresser is a foreigner. - Mkini