GOVERNMENT authorities have arrested a person who was allegedly involved in selling falsified swab test results to inbound travelers, the police reported.
Police Major Chester Natividad, Zamboanga City Police Office’s (ZCPO) Station 11 chief, identified the arrested suspect as Amilhamja Ansar, 59, a resident of Santa Barbara village, Zamboanga City.
Natividad said Ansar was arrested in a joint entrapment operation by his office, Philippine Coast Guard, and National Intelligence Coordinating Agency around 5:12 p.m. Friday in Santa Barbara.
He said seized from the suspect were three falsified swab test results, four pieces of P1,000 boodle money topped with one genuine P500 bill as marked money.
Natividad said they launched the entrapment operation following receipt of information from the City Health and City Tourism Offices on the confiscation of falsified swab test results from passengers coming from Basilan and Sulu provinces at the travelers’ hub of the local port.
However, Ansar claimed that he was just tasked to deliver the falsified swab test results to inbound passengers at the local port.
Natividad said investigation continues to determine who are the cohorts of Ansar in selling falsified results, which are allegedly being processed in one of the hospitals in this city.
Personnel manning the entry checkpoint at the local port on July 5 have intercepted 32 inbound travelers, including 10 policemen, coming from Basilan and Sulu provinces.
The “no swab, no entry” policy is emphasized under Executive Order No. 644-2021 issued by Mayor Maria Isabelle Climaco-Salazar after the National Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases placed Zamboanga City under general community quarantine effective July 1 until July 30. (SunStar Zamboanga)