The police have charged 18 foreign nationals in court after they were caught trying to leave Malta with fake COVID-19 test results, a police spokesperson told Times of Malta.

The immigration and airport police are also in the process of investigating another case. So far, nobody has been caught using a fake test to try getting into the country.

Travellers are required to present results of tests confirming they are COVID-19 free before entering the country from so-called ‘amber list’ places. The list includes the UK and EU countries. Those arriving without a negative result from tests taken up to 72 hours before arrival will be tested by healthcare workers.

Times of Malta reported last week some 30% of passengers were turning up without the mandatory results in hand.

Those charged face up to a year in prison or a heavy fine

According to a spokesperson, most of the fake test results were generated using a mobile application with users able to edit documents to fit the different countries’ travel requirements.

There have also been cases where documents are purchased through online black markets. This practice has been less common than the mobile application one, the spokesperson said.

Although the police had initially struggled to establish whether a test result was fake or not, after the first few cases they are now able to immediately identify those documents which have been doctored.

The spokesperson said the majority of those making use of these documents tended to do so because they did not have time to get tested through the official channels and feared they would miss their flights.

Those charged with the crime face up to a year in prison or a heavy fine.

In February, when the police caught the first travellers using fake COVID-19 test results, the courts handed down suspended sentences to those involved.

At the time, the police had also said one of the persons caught using the doctored documents was helping out in an investigation to catch others producing and selling the fake results.