HYDERABAD: Police on Friday arrested four persons, including a Covid-19 data entry operator for issuing fake vaccination certificates in the old city, the third such racket to be busted in one week.
Investigators said they are also investigating the role of primary health staff and data entry operators in the scam, which could have a wider network.
Last week, two separate rackets in providing fake negative RT-PCR reports without testing and backdated fully vaccinated certificates without the jab was busted by the Commissioner's Task Force.
Six persons, including a diagnostic centre owner, a primary health care centre staff, travel agents and others were arrested in issuing the fraudulent certificates also.
At a time when Covid-19 cases and seasonal fever are on the rise, Kalapathar police nabbed the four for issuing bogus vaccination certificates without the jab against 1,000 bribe per person.
Several cell phones, Aadhaar cards and forged certificates were recovered from their possession.
G. Biksham Reddy, ACP Charminar, said Mohammed Saif, 19, a resident of Ali Bagh, Kalapathar, Mohammed Misbaullah Shareef, 22, resident of Ali Bagh, Mohd Aslam, 21, resident of Shaheen Nagar and Mohd Fareed, 22, resident of Wadi-e-Saleheen were caught red-handed following a tip off to the police about the racket.
Accused Mohd Saif, was working as a data entry operator with Covid-19 vaccination centre at Madhava Reddy Community Hall, Saroonagar, who used to issue vaccination certificate without the jab by accepting Rs 1000 from people.
"Mohd Saif, was working as data entry operator at a Covid vaccination Centre at Saroonagar, along with his friends hatched a plan and trapped those who wanted to acquire vaccination certificate without taking the jab," Reddy said.
With the government making it mandatory for a vaccination certificate in case of medical emergency in certain hospitals, the gang took advantage of such people and approached them for the forged vaccine certificates by paying money,'' added Reddy.
Many people in the old city, according to the police are also reluctant to take the vaccine, fearing side effects and may have encourage such rackets, health department officials said.
Police said they have identified eight persons who procured the certificates, officials said.
