The falsification of the vaccination certificate or covid passport can carry a sentence of between 6 months and 3 years in prison and the Spanish courts equate the responsibility of its material author with that of the person who commissions it.
The vaccination certificate is still necessary in Spain to access establishments in Andalusia, Aragon, the Canary Islands -for national tourists-, the Valencian Community, Galicia, La Rioja, Murcia, Navarra -until tomorrow, Monday-, Ceuta and Melilla.
Other regions have stopped requiring it -the Balearic Islands yesterday-, such as Catalonia, and in four (Castilla y León, Castilla-La Mancha, Extremadura or Madrid) it was never implemented.
It will continue in Europe
However, it seems that its use, at least at European level, will be around for some timesince the European Commission has recently proposed extending its validity until at least June 30, 2023, with which it will continue to be a control mechanism within the reach of each Government in the event of new waves.
The evolution of the pandemic continues to be positive and main indicators remain downbut in Europe it is not ruled out that the spread of the virus will continue to be active in the second half of 2022, nor the appearance of new variants that may be more harmful.
Therefore, it is foreseeable that this document, which certifies that its holder has been vaccinated or have recently been screened, continue to be essential requirement to travel and, in certain cases, to access places of leisure such as restaurants, theaters, cinemas or gyms.
increase the offer
“But to the same extent that the demand for its use grows, increasing supply of fake certificateswhich are sued by those who seek to continue with their rhythm of life avoiding vaccination,” lawyer Ignacio Castillo, from the Castillo Castrillón office, explained to Efe.
“If a few months ago an increase in the falsification of the results of PCR tests and antigen tests was detected, currently this fraudulent business is transferred to covid certificates, which can cost between 170 and 450 euros in the illicit market”, adds this criminalist.
Precisely, at the end of last January, the National Police dismantled in Madrid and Barcelona a network made up of seven members -including health personnel- that was able to provide false covid passports and PCR results to famous and well-known criminals throughout the national territory and also in other countries of the European Union.
Besides of singer Omar Montes, one of the most listened to artists in Spain, According to the Spotify platform, known criminals or convicted of drug trafficking appear as alleged clients of this organization.
Administration is accessed
“People who want to get a fraudulent covid passport are not aware that the illegal reproduction of the same is not easy for its correct operation, since by having a QR code for its validation, they must access the system of the issuing Administration”Castle adds.
The manipulation of the QR code supposes, in practice, the alteration of an essential element of a document issued by the Administration.
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The criminal offense in question in which both the person who materially falsifies the document and the person who orders it would incur is typified in article 392 and 390.1 of the Penal Code, and contemplates penalties ranging from 6 months to 3 years in prisonwith fines of various amounts, lasting between 6 and 12 months.
“Those who are tempted to acquire a false covid passport must know that it is not a certificate of little importance in legal traffic, given the connotations that the current pandemic brings with it and the need to safeguard and protect the general interest on the part of the Administrations”, warns Ignacio Castillo.