The Brussels Criminal Court sentenced 11 people to six to eight months in prison on Monday, as well as fines ranging from €1,600 to €2,000, for presenting fake negative PCR tests at Brussels International Airport.
At the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, international travel was highly restricted or even banned. With the resumption of tourist travel in April 2021, passengers were required to provide a negative PCR test at departure and a Passenger Locator Form (PLF) upon arrival.
At Brussels International Airport alone, 820 people were detained for attempting to present a fake negative test certificate at departure. The suspects were offered the possibility of paying a settlement of €750 and around 80% accepted. 160 people refused to settle and were subsequently brought to court.
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The first 11 of these suspects have now received sentences. All suspects had falsified PCR tests, changing either the name, result, or time of the test.
Ten defendants were sentenced to six months in prison and a fine of €1,600. One man, who had already been convicted in the past for forgery, received a more severe sentence: eight months in prison and a fine of €2,000.
