Police in the East Java capital of Surabaya have named three men as suspects for allegedly forging fake rapid test results for passengers departing from Tanjung Perak Port.
The suspects were identified as 55-year-old MR, 35-year-old BS, and 46-year-old SH. Tanjung Perak Port Police Chief Ganis Setyaningrum said that MR is an owner of a travel agency while BS served as his calo (middleman) and SH acted as a Puskesmas (community health center) employee stationed at the port.
“Profit from the sales of the fake rapid test results that we confiscated is only IDR5.7 million (US$400.74), the rest have been used by the suspects,” Ganis said yesterday.
Police also found from the suspects clearance forms that the port’s health center issues as a requirement to buy tickets. The forms, Ganis said, are only issued to passengers who have presented their rapid test results.
Since starting their operation in September, the suspects said they have sold hundreds of fake rapid test results to passengers departing to Ambon, Maluku, as well as Kalimantan and Papua provinces, to name a few. Passengers pay IDR100,000 (US$7) to get their non-reactive result without having to undergo the actual rapid test procedure.
Police say they are still looking into the case for the possible involvement of other parties.
The three suspects are currently detained at the Tanjung Perak Port Police Station, and may be charged with violation of articles on document forgery under Indonesia’s criminal code (KUHP), which carries a maximum sentence of six years.
The crime is especially concerning, given that passengers with these fake test results may actually be carrying the virus and could potentially transmit it onboard or at their destinations.
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