Four passengers have been fined £10,000 each after failing to declare they had travelled into the UK from a “red list†country.
The travellers flew into a Birmingham Airport without declaring that they had visited one of the nations in the last ten days, West Midlands Police said.
Rules came into force on Monday requiring UK and Irish nationals, and UK residents, returning to England from 33 countries to quarantine in a Government-approved hotel for ten days.
The listed countries are those deemed at high risk of coronavirus variants and includes all of South America, southern Africa, Portugal and the United Arab Emirates.
Temporary Assistant Chief Constable Chris Todd told a meeting held by the force’s strategic policing and crime board: “By midday yesterday (Monday), on the first day of implementation, we have received six passengers who had declared travelling from a red list country, who were taken to the quarantine hotel.
“We also had four passengers who were identified as having travelled from a red list country, that hadn’t declared it.
“So there are some people who have who have attempted to hide their routes but that’s not worked out.
“They were identified and received £10,000 fines as a result.â€