Spaniards Caught Falsifying Coronavirus Passport Could Face Three Years in Prison

People in Spain caught falsifying either a Wuhan coronavirus vaccine certificate or a health passport could face prison terms of between six months and three years behind bars.

Spain’s Wuhan coronavirus health pass system varies between different regions of the country, with some regions, such as the Balearic islands, having dropped vaccine passports, while others like Madrid, have never implemented health passports at all.

In areas where the passports are required, such as the Canary Islands, Andalusia or Aragon, those caught falsifying the health pass could face between six months and three years in prison, newspaper El Mundo reports.

Individuals caught buying or using fake health pass documents or fake coronavirus vaccine certificates will also be held to the same laws and penalties as those who manufacture the forged documents.

As in many parts of Europe which require health passports to engage in certain activities, such as dining inside restaurants or attending large indoor or outdoor events, Spain has seen a rise in forged health passes.

Last month, Spanish police arrested seven suspected members of a criminal gang that had forged health passports as well as negative tests for the virus.

According to a report from Reuters, the group had advertised their wares on instant messaging groups online and had been aided by healthcare professionals who falsely registered at least 1,600 people into the country’s register of fully vaccinated individuals.

Investigators say the network charged between €200 (£167/$226) and €1,000 (£835/$1,129) for the fake vaccination certificate and that the leader of the network is based in France.

Last month in Austria, investigators raised 24 homes across the country in connection to another fake health pass network, seizing 84 vaccine passports, 30 mobile phones and 17 laptop and desktop computers.

“The pandemic has given rise to new forms of crime. The Federal Criminal Police Office and the State Criminal Police Offices are facing up to these tasks through consistent and structured investigations, in close cooperation with the health authorities,” Austrian interior Minister  Gerhard Karner said following the raids.

Follow Chris Tomlinson on Twitter at @TomlinsonCJ or email at ctomlinson(at)breitbart.com