5 people were arrested for re-using corona "swabs" at the airport in Indonesia

Police in North Sumatra, Indonesia, have arrested five people on suspicion of re-using coronavirus testing kits with passengers at the region's international airport, a police spokesman said yesterday evening.

Provincial Police spokesman Hadi Wahaudi stated that the five, who were working for the state-owned Kimia Pharma company, washed and repackaged nasal swabs for the rapid antigen-based test and used them to screen travelers at Kualanamo Airport in Medan, the provincial capital.

"We will question senior officials in the company to get to the core of the case," Hadi said, adding that the five suspects had been committing these acts since December.

He explained that the suspects could face six years in prison if found guilty of violating health and consumer protection laws in Indonesia.

Provincial Police Chief Panca Putra Simanjuntak said the suspects made a profit of 30 million rupees ($ 2,000) a day from the reuse of nasal swabs.

The practice was revealed late last month by a police officer who pretended to be a passenger undergoing a rapid Corona check-up at the airport.