‘Beware of fake Covid testing booths’

Police yesterday arrested three officials of an organisation that exists only on paper, TKS Healthcare Service, over forging documents that showed the health ministry's approval to collect samples and conduct Covid-19 antigen tests.

They spent Tk 2,500 to create the fake approval document and were planning to set up over 100 booths across the country, take Tk 2 lakh from local representatives in advance, and thus, swindle several crores of taka in the process, detectives said, following the arrest.

TKS Managing Director Abdullah Al Amin, Chairperson Abdul Hasan Tusher and Marketing Manager Shaheen Mia were held from Dhaka and Jhalakhati districts.

The gang faked the signature of Jakia Parveen, deputy secretary of health ministry, to prepare a fake permission document, Harun-or-Rashid, joint commissioner (DB-North), told a press briefing at DMP media centre yesterday.

DB officials said the arrestees set up a temporary office at Farmgate on July 11 and appealed to the health ministry to get approval for conducting antigen tests.

In the application, they mentioned that they had arrangements to conduct Covid-19 tests at 4,562 unions, with around 5,126 frontline fighters.

In actuality, they had no such arrangements, and they knew their application would be rejected. Therefore, they made a fake approval document, the DB official said, quoting the arrestees.

They had a plan to swindle around Tk 5 crore in the process, DB officials said.

Having no actual credentials or experience in healthcare, they appointed various people as upazila coordinators and field officers in Dhaka and Jhalakati districts and defrauded people.

Harun said people should be aware of such fraudulent activities. If anyone notices someone setting up camp in the name of free Covid-19 tests, they should inform police.

A case was filed against the arrestees with Shahbagh Police Station.