21 Dubai-bound passengers arrested over fake COVID-19 certificates

21 Dubai-bound passengers were on Thursday evening arrested at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport for presenting fake COVID-19 and yellow fever certificates.

Also Read: Kenya among 13 countries slapped with visa ban by UAE

During the operation conducted by port health officials from the Ministry of Health, the unsuspecting passengers were nabbed after their documents were subjected to special scanning.

Most of the passengers were booked to fly aboard Emirates airline to Dubai.

The operation follows suspension of visa issuance imposed on Kenya and some 12 other countries over alleged rise in number of fake documents being presented by their nationals upon arrival in UAE states.

The other countries include Iran, Syria, Pakistan, 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.