NAIROBI, Kenya, Nov 27-Port health officials alongside their counterparts from the Ministry of Health on Thursday evening arrested 21 passengers who were headed for the Middle East with alleged fake COVID-19 pandemic certificates.
It is a requirement for passengers arriving in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to have a negative COVID-19 pandemic certificate.
The passengers were planning to board planes for their destinations and especially UAE when they were informed the documents they had were forged.
The victims are expected in court Friday morning as police hunt down those behind the printing of the fake documents.
This comes in the wake of revelations that Kenya is among 13 countries slapped with a visa ban by the United Arab Emirates over concerns of the documents that were being issued.
This was after authorities established that majority of passengers who arrived in UAE with negative Covid-19 pandemic certificates turned out to be positive after being tested there.
This put risk to many passengers on the airlines they were using which forced the authorities to take action.
A document sent by travel agencies said applications for new employment and visit visas had been suspended for nationals –those outside the UAE –of 13 countries until further notice.
It cited an immigration circular that came into effect on November 18.
Other countries on the list include Iran, Syria, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Algeria, Iraq, Lebanon, Tunisia, Turkey, Somalia, Libya and Yemen.
However, those already holding valid visas were not affected and could still enter the UAE.
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