Gardaí uncover holidaymakers using fake company letter claiming travel was essential

Gardaí at a Covid-19 Checkpoint outside Terminal 2, Dublin Airport, on Friday. Picture: Colin Keegan, Collins Dublin

Gardaí have uncovered the first known case of Irish holidaymakers producing fake documentation to support their claim that their travel abroad is essential.

Two people departing Dublin Airport on Thursday provided gardaí with a letter purporting to be from their employer – an engineering company – stating they were required abroad on essential infrastructure projects.

When officers from the Garda National Immigration Bureau checked with the company, they were told that they never heard of the two individuals.

The letter claimed the two men travelling were due to work on essential engineering projects in Europe.

The two individuals decided to continue their journey and will have two fines, each valued at €500, awaiting them at their home addresses on their return.

Gardaí have no power to stop people travelling and sources said the purpose of the fines was to try and discourage people.

People travelling abroad at airports are interviewed by GNIB officers at the departure gates and asked about the purpose of their journey, if it is essential and whether or not they have any supporting documents.

Gardaí advise people that if they assess their journey is not essential, they face a €500 fine and a penal process.

The Government increased the fine for non-essential international travel from €100 to €500 because of concerns the initial fine was not large enough, particularly given the cheap flights available.

If people do not pay their fines on return, they risk a court summons.

The discovery on Thursday came a day after GNIB officers at Dublin Airport came across the first known case of people entering the country using fake Covid-19 negative test certificates.

Suspicions were raised initially regarding the passports two men were using, which turned out not to be theirs, but other people’s.

GNIB officers then discovered the men had medical certificates stating they had an antigen test for Covid-19 and were negative.

Although the correspondence looked legitimate, gardaí were suspicious of contents of the document. It was on headed paper and issued from Lagos, Nigeria.

On further examination they determined they were false – the first known case in the country.

The men were arrested on immigration offences, charged and held in custody.

Earlier this week, EU police agency Europol warned that gangs were trading in fake Covid certs for international travellers. This included the infamous Irish organised crime network, the Rathkeale Rovers.

On Covid-19 fines, Garda HQ issued a statement saying 3,500 fines had been issued for non-essential travel, including about 375 fines for non-essential journeys to airports/ports.

“People travelling to an airport or port to take a holiday abroad are now liable for a €500 fine each for undertaking a non-essential journey,” said the statement. “Going on a holiday abroad is not essential travel.”