Large raid in Hesse
Police arrest suspected counterfeiters – at least 300 fake vaccination cards sold
200 emergency services searched 23 objects during a large-scale raid in Hesse (symbol image)
© Swen gatekeeper / DPA
In a major raid in Hesse, the police managed to strike two alleged vaccination passport forgers. The two are said to have forged at least 300 passports and asked for up to 400 euros each.
The police in Hesse carried out a major raid against forgeries of vaccination passports. The two alleged forgers and ten of the alleged buyers of forged vaccination certificates were provisionally arrested on Wednesday, said the Hessian State Criminal Police Office and the Darmstadt public prosecutor’s office. A total of 200 emergency services searched 23 objects.
According to the investigators, there is suspicion of commercial forgery. They face up to ten years imprisonment for this. In addition to local authorities in Hesse – including Wiesbaden, Darmstadt, Offenbach, Frankfurt am Main and Kassel – investigators also searched objects in the Baden-Württemberg cities of Heidelberg and Karlsruhe.
Hundred to 400 euros for a fake passport
Investigations led to the suspicion that a 36-year-old from Bickenbach had forged vaccination records and sold them together with the second main suspect, a 42-year-old from Mörfelden-Walldorf. This suspicion was confirmed in further investigations, according to which the two traded with forged vaccination passports and QR codes.
It is assumed that there are at least 300 counterfeits that have been sold for between 100 and 400 euros. 20 alleged buyers have been identified. 15 of the alleged buyers were found on site on Wednesday.
Police arrested ten of the 15 alleged buyers found on site, as well as the 36 and 42-year-old main suspects, and brought them to the police station for further police action. During the searches, the emergency services confiscated numerous vaccination cards, QR codes, cell phones and other data carriers.
BKA assumes an increasing demand with 2G rules
In addition, blank vaccination passports, allegedly ordered and forged vaccination passports and tens of thousands of euros in cash were also confiscated. The evaluation of the confiscated items and the investigations into other possible buyers are still ongoing, according to the information.
The head of the Federal Criminal Police Office, Holger Münch, told the television broadcaster “Welt” that there was a market for such forged documents that the police had in view. “There is a need here, quite clearly, when 2G regulations are more prevalent and non-vaccinated people try not to be affected by the restrictions,” said Münch. Then criminals would also try to meet such a need.