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Vaccination passports: 59 potential customers identified
Photo: Stefan Puchner / dpa
Early on Tuesday morning, around 260 police officers in the Rhineland searched 70 apartments and a company for fake vaccination cards.
The investigations were mainly directed against a medical assistant, according to a statement from the Cologne public prosecutor's office.
The doctor's assistant is suspected of having falsified vaccination cards and digital vaccination certificates.
In this context, the investigative group "Stempel" identified 59 potential customers.
In addition, 15 other procedures are being investigated in which, among other things, fake vaccination cards are said to have been presented in pharmacies or to the employer for digitization.
A total of 77 suspects
The investigation group "Stempel" had already started a major search operation three weeks ago.
At that time, a good 200 police officers were on duty and a total of 40 apartments were searched.
This time investigators were in Cologne, Leverkusen, the Rhein-Erft district, the Mettmann district and in the Oberberg district.
The investigators are targeting a total of 77 suspects between the ages of 16 and 74.
The police are taking action against them, among other things, on suspicion of forging documents, producing incorrect vaccination cards and issuing incorrect health certificates.
apr/dpa