Hospital letters declaring the holder COVID-19-free is being offered on a number of e-commerce platforms for people hoping to travel amid the mudik (exodus) ban.
The document includes the letterhead and stamp of hospital operator Mitra Keluarga, complete with a blurred signature of a general practitioner and a watermark of a blocked website address.
Screenshots making the rounds on social media showed the letter was being sold for between Rp 70,000 (S$7) and Rp 39 million per copy.
Three e-commerce giants, namely Tokopedia, Bukalapak and Shopee, confirmed that the letter had been available on their platform but reiterated that each copy had been taken down.
The offering went viral amid news of a packed Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Tangerang, Banten, where passengers lined up to get their required travel documents checked by airport authorities, including negative COVID-19 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests, rapid test results or health documents from a hospital or clinic, to proceed to their flights.
The product sparked online discussions and jokes.
“Yeay! We can buy it. Only with Rp 70,000, we can mudik
He urged e-commerce users to report products that violate Tokopedia’s terms and conditions or applicable Indonesian laws through available features on the digital platform.
“We also continue to take proactive actions to keep the activities on Tokopedia on track with prevailing regulations,” he added.
Bukalapak and Shopee both said they had blocked the merchants offering the letter, emphasizing that they were taking strict measures against any products found violating the law.
“We have a team tasked with monitoring the type of products offered to ensure that all sellers meet the rules and to act decisively against any violations, including counterfeit goods,” Bukalapak corporate communications head Intan Wibisono told the Post.
“We will not tolerate actions that exploit a pandemic and endanger public safety,” Shopee Indonesia public relations lead Aditya Maulana Noverdi said separately.
A Facebook user in Bali was previously caught trying to sell a fake health letter required for mudik.
The medical certificate included the letterhead of the West Denpasar Health Agency’s technical management unit (UPTD) and was offered at Rp 250,000 per copy.
The Jembrana Police arrested three suspects around the Gilimanuk Port on Wednesday evening.
This article was first published in Asia One . All contents and images are copyright to their respective owners and sources.
