KUALA LUMPUR, March 15 — The police have arrested three private medical practitioners alleged to have run a syndicate selling forged Covid-19 vaccination certificates, Sinar Harian reported today.

The three were among 45 people caught in an operation that took place between January 1 and March this year, Bukit Aman Commercial Crimes Division Datuk Mohd Kamarudin Md Din was quoted as saying.

Three government doctors were also believed to be complicit, the Malay newspaper reported.

According to the police official, the syndicate included private and public healthcare staff and was alleged to have sold the forged certificates for between RM500 and RM600 each.

"These people don’t want to be vaccinated but because they need the certificates for certain activities this is what happens,” Mohd Kamarudin was quoted saying.

"They end up paying for the vaccination certificates that are produced through MySejahtera,” he added, referring to the government-operated smartphone application that indicates if a person has been vaccinated or not.

The police have opened nine investigation papers under Section 468 of the Penal Code and Act 342 (Prevention and Control of Infectious Disease).

Mohd Kamarudin said the fake certificate sales were a way for the GPs to make a side income.

"Whatever the goal, what they did is against the law because it involves public health,” he was quoted as saying.

"If these people are not vaccinated the consequences can be grave because the chances of them infecting other people is high,” the senior policeman added.