More than 3,000 phony COVID-19 vaccination cards were seized this week from cargo facilities at Anchorage airport, officials said.
The fake cards were shipped in from China, arriving in over 100 packages throughout the week, according to US Customs and Border Protection spokesperson Jaime Ruiz.
Each package contained roughly 20 to 25 cards that resembled the authentic Centers for Disease Control and Prevention certificates given to people who actually receive their vaccine.
“Getting these fraudulent cards off the streets and out of the hands of those who would then sell them is important for the safety of the American public,” Lance Robinson, the agency’s director in Anchorage, said in a statement.
Buying, selling or using bogus vaccination cards is a crime, the agency has warned, and could be punishable by a fine or up to five years in prison.
Authorities also said that ordering fake vax cards wastes the time of Border Patrol officers, who are also working on finding more consequential contraband, like drugs.
With Post wires