A NOTORIOUS Irish crime gang are selling fake coronavirus test results, the Europea Union's law enforcement agency has warned.
Europol yesterday issued an alert to all 27 EU member states and beyond as the became aware of a potentially dangerous scam doing the rounds in Europe.
Ireland's notorious Rathkeale Rovers gang have begun producing and selling fake Covid-19 test certificates which falsely claim the person involved has received been tested for the virus and tested negative.
The scam has emerged as a number of countries across the EU and beyond now require a mandatory negative PCR test before allowing people to enter the country from abroad.
These measures have been introduced to slow the spread of the disease, and there are fears that people entering countries with a fake test could be spreading the virus further.
The Rathkeale Rovers gang has gained widespread notoriety for a number of schemes which include a member being caught smuggling a rhino horn, and several members being convicted of plotting to steal tens of millions of pounds worth of museum artefacts.
Europol issued the Early Warning Notification yesterday, 1 February, after receiving "additional intelligence" that the Rathkeale Rovers organised crime group had gained access to an application which allows members of the group to manually falsify test results.
The statement continued: "Given the widespread technological means available, in the form of high-quality printers and different software, fraudsters are able to produce high-quality counterfeit, forged or fake documents."
Europol has urged all EU member states to be vigilant when dealing with Covid-19 test results, and the share any suspicions or information which could assist the investigation wit Europol.
