18 People Seized At Sultan Hasanuddin Airport, South Sulawesi For Carrying Fake Antigen Test Certificates

MAKASSAR - As many as 18 people were arrested by the police for allegedly falsifying COVID-19 rapid antigen test letters. They were about to leave via Sultan Hasanuddin Airport, Maros, South Sulawesi.

"There are 18 people currently being detained by the police," said Police Chief of Sultan Hasanuddin Airport Area, Iptu Asep Widianto, to reporters, Thursday, January 28.

The 18 people arrested were South Sulawesi residents. They plan to travel by plane to Surabaya and Denpasar.

"16 people, going to Denpasar, use a Lion Air plane, two of which want to go to Surabaya using Citilink," he said.

They were secured after officers became suspicious of one of the passengers in the group for Denpasar, Bali.

Each prospective passenger must carry a COVID-19 test result certificate. This letter must be validated by the Port Health Office (KKP) officer at Hasanuddin International Airport.

However, when the group underwent an inspection of the COVID-19 Task Force, in the airport area, the officers not long after that the officers found irregularities in the letter issued by the hospital in Makassar.

"There we found anomalies. There were other signatures, then the signatures, and after checking at the hospital, the names A, B, C were not registered," said Iptu Asep.

Until now, the passenger group is still undergoing inspection.

"The suspect is at the airport area police, the perpetrator is still investigating the police," he said.