17 arrested with fake Covid-19 certificates at JKIA

17 people headed to Dubai, were on Thursday evening arrested at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport for presenting fake COVID-19 and yellow fever certificates.

An operation done by the port health officials from the Ministry of Health, smoked out the 17 after their documents were subjected to special scanning.

Many of those who were arrested had booked to fly aboard Emirates airline to Dubai.

The arrests were made hours after Kenya and other 12 countries were slapped with a visa ban by the United Arab Emirates (UEA).

A statement issued by UEA pointed out that applications for new employment and visit visas had been suspended for nationals outside the UAE until further notice.

The banned is said to have been imposed following the rising number of fake documents being presented by nationals of the 13 countries upon arrival in UAE states.

Other countries whose Visa application to UAE has been suspended include; Iran, Syria, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Algeria, Iraq, Lebanon, Tunisia, Turkey, Somalia, Libya and Yemen.

Reports indicate that on a recent flight from Kenya to Dubai, about 100 Kenyans had COVID-19 free certificates, but on being tested at the airport over 50 of them tested positive.