WIREDGOV

Two men have been charged as part of a joint National Crime Agency and NHS England investigation into the creation and online sale of fraudulent Covid 19 vaccination records during the pandemic.

Waqas Hanif, 26, of Sherwood Road, Luton, was arrested by NCA officers in January 2022, and Touqir Nasir, 29, of Runley Road, Luton, attended a voluntary interview in March 2022.

The investigation relates to the creation of almost 2,000 fraudulent records at a health centre in Luton between June and October 2021, and the seizure of £145,000 in cash from a safety deposit box in the town.

During the pandemic, unvaccinated individuals paid for legitimate vaccine passport records which were obtained from online marketplaces illegally. 

It is suspected that organised criminals recruited healthcare professionals to produce the fraudulent records. This allowed unvaccinated people to travel when others were subject to restrictions.

The Crown Prosecution Service has authorised charges for both men, relating to alleged offences under the Computer Misuse Act and Fraud Act. They are due to appear at Luton Magistrates' Court tomorrow (9 January).

Deputy Director Paul Foster, Head of the NCA's National Cyber Crime Unit, yesterday said:

"Receiving a vaccine is a matter of individual choice. However, abusing our healthcare system to facilitate unvaccinated individuals to bypass restrictions that are in place to protect the British public is illegal.

"Working closely with the NHS England Counter Fraud Team, this investigation has helped to secure the safety of our communities by preventing organised criminals from further undermining the national pandemic response and benefitting financially from the damaging service they provided."

Natalie Cassidy, Senior Crown Prosecutor from the Crown Prosecution Service, yesterday said:

"The Crown Prosecution Service has authorised the National Crime Agency and the NHS to charge the two defendants with offences relating to creating fake Covid 19 vaccination records for paying unvaccinated individuals who then purported to be vaccinated for travel purposes when they were not.

"The Crown Prosecution Service reminds all concerned that criminal proceedings against these defendants are now active and that they have a right to a fair trial. It is extremely important that there should be no reporting, commentary or sharing of information online which could in any way prejudice these proceedings."