On Wednesday, the Mumbai Crime branch laid a trap and arrested two persons Alfaiz Khan and Zuber Sheikh who were from Pratapgarh, Uttar Pradesh for allegedly manipulating the Co-Win website and procuring fake vaccination certificates for unvaccinated people. 

The police said that the accused received the certificate from the Co-Win website, after getting the details inserted by a health worker. A team led by assistant police inspector Amol Mali contacted health workers at the BMC L-word office. As per the plan, on Tuesday, the dummy customer approached Zuber Sheikh. Sheikh asked the dummy customer to share his Aadhaar card, mobile number and pay Rs 2000 for the vaccination certificate and collect his vaccination certificate on Wednesday. A one-time password was generated on the mobile of the dummy customer but the frauds did not ask him for it. Crime branch officials laid a trap around the shop and arrested Sheikh red-handed while handing over the certificate which showed that the dummy customer got his first dose on August 3 and the second on December 21 at a health centre in Pratapgarh. The barcode on the certificate was working.

Sheikh was brought to the crime branch office, and later his accomplice Alfaiz Khan (19) was also arrested from his residence in Wadala. During questioning the duo confessed the crime and told that they were afraid of taking the vaccine, but wanted to work in Mumbai. There was no entry anywhere without full vaccination, so they approached one person there who helped them get an original certificate. On arriving in Mumbai, they realised that people require certificates for several things and so became a part of the same. The two took details of applicants from UP, and sent certificates back to them for Rs 700 each.

Source: The Indian Express