The passengers were each fined NIS 5,000 and could be barred from re-entering Israel.
Israel Police and the Ministry of Health have announced that 23 passengers were caught yesterday at Ben Gurion airport presenting a fake PCR Covid test before boarding a United Airlines flight to New York. When checking documents, ground staff from United Airlines were suspicious about the Covid tests and alerted Ministry of Health officials who confirmed that the tests were fake.
The passengers were immediately taken off the plane and detained for questioning by the police and released on bail after each being fined NIS 5,000. Their details have been passed on to the US authorities and the Israeli authorities are considering “further action,” including banning the US citizens from entering Israel for 5-10 years.
Each day some 6-10 passengers who have tested positive for Covid arrive at Ben Gurion airport and attempt to leave Israel. They are fined for violating quarantine regulations and sent back into quarantine.
In addition an average of 15 passengers are caught each day at Ben Gurion airport presenting forged PCR Covid tests. These tests are for countries like the US and UK, which like Israel, demand that all arrivals have been tested before leaving on flights to them. Forged test results are apparently easy to obtain. NIS 5,000 fines do not seem to act as a deterrent.
Published by Globes, Israel business news – en.globes.co.il – on August 12, 2021
© Copyright of Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd. 2021
Ben Gurion Airport credit: Yossi Zamir
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