Man sentenced to one year behind bars for presenting fake negative PCR test at the airport
A Brussels criminal court has sentenced a man to one year imprisonment after he presented a fake negative corona test at Brussels Airport.
The judicial authorities had announced a more stringent approach of corona passport fraud last April. Between 19 April and 11 June, 576 people were caught using a false PCR-test at Brussels Airport.
On 7 May, a man arrived at the airport to take the plane. He showed a document stating that he had tested negative. However, the lab where he allegedly had the corona test taken, could not find the test reference number nor the man's name in their data. The traveller confessed to having the document falsified. He had paid 30 euros to fraudsters.
The Halle-Vilvoorde judicial authorities proposed an amicable agreement worth 750 euros, but the man declined. A court case was started, where he didn't show up.
The judge imposed 1 year imprisonment and a fine of 4,000 euros in his absence, labelling the facts as very serious. "International air travel is the perfect way for a virus to spread and cause a pandemic. (...) The man's attitude shows a complete lack of respect towards others."