2 held at Ranchi airport for selling fake RT-PCR negative reports

Ranchi: Acting on a tip-off, the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) on Friday evening arrested two persons for selling fake RT-PCR test reports to passengers boarding flights from Birsa Munda International Airport.
The accused were identified as Md Ali from Ranchi and Md Nasim from Chatra district. A CISF crime wing officer on condition of anonymity said, “CISF had received information regarding people moving around the airport to target passengers who have arrived without RT-PCR test reports, which are mandatory for boarding flights. They were mostly targeting workers leaving for their place of job.”
A CISF’s personnel pretending to be a passenger approached Ali saying he needed a Covid negative report. Ali took Rs 1,000 from him and assured the report will be provided in half an hour. Even as several CISF personnel were waiting in the vicinity in plain clothes to nab him red-handed, Ali got a hint about their presence and tried to slip away. CISF caught the accused after a short chase. Nasim, who was standing a little away, was also caught as CISF personnel had noticed that whenever Ali made a call from his mobile phone Nasim was picking up his phone. The arrested persons were handed over to the airport police station for further action.
Police said the accused persons confessed to their crime during the interrogation which was conducted by senior officials. The accused used to change names and dates in the format of previous RT-PCR reports and give print out to passengers.