One man has been arrested in west Athens for receiving Covid-19 vaccines on behalf of others. He admitted that he had already received several vaccines doses and that he was paid 25 euros per shot. The man was in the company of a woman who also went there for vaccination. A third person had recruited them.
The incident took place at Agia Varvara Infectious Diseases Hospital on Thursday afternoon.
A 46-year-old man, appeared for vaccination against Covid-19 with the ID card of a 27-year-old as well as his social security number. He admitted to have received 25 euros in order to get the vaccine on behalf of this other person. Furthermore, he confessed that he had done the same in the past and that ha has already received several doses of the vaccines.
According to lawandorder.gr website that revealed the unprecedented story, one of the arrested had received 16 doses of the single-shot vaccine and the other one a total of 12 doses.
The couple is reportedly addicted to drugs and homeless.
They would appear to the hospital with the ID and the social security number of the people on whose behalf they would get the vaccine. When asked about the change of their appearance they would say that “their features had changed due to the chronic use of drugs.”
Citing police sources, the website notes that the couple said that they were “recruited” by a third person living in West Attica. This person would supply them with the IDs and the AMKA number of those who wanted to be registered as “vaccinated” without ever receiving the vaccine.
The “middle-man” person would then wait for them outside the hospital, they would hand over the ID and receive the 25 euros.
It is not known how long this scam was going on, however, it was one hospital worker who noticed the frequent presence of the couple there and informed the police.
Thursday noon, police took the vaccination center under close surveillance and started questioning the man when he came for the vaccination.
The doctor who would carry out the vaccination was surprised that the man would not remember his name or any other data on “his” ID card. The doctor asked him to take down the mask and saw that the face in front of him had nothing common with the one of a man in his middle 20’s.
Also the woman had appeared at the hospital for vaccination with the ID of a 26-year old woman.
Until the issue was cleared, the middle-man had disappeared. Also the woman escaped the arrest.
The 46-year-old has been arrested for stealing documents and false testimony.
Arrested has been also the 27-year-old man who reportedly claimed that his ID was stolen.
Police investigates further the issue.
