Greek authorities on Wednesday announced several arrests related to an alleged scam involving thousands of fake drug prescriptions to the tune of 1.2 million euros, money paid out by the country’s primary healthcare fund.
A total of seven people were arrested on Tuesday in a large-scale police operation, while 15 suspects are listed in an indictment compiled during a lengthy investigation extending back as far as 2017 by Greek Police’s economic and organized crime units in cooperation with the healthcare fund, the National Organization for Health Care Services (EOPYY).
Besides the fraud and forgery offenses, several of the individuals have been charged with money laundering, illicit trafficking of pharmaceuticals, weapons possession, and the unlawful use of unsuspecting citizens’ personal data.
Authorities have pointed to two pharmacy owners as the “masterminds” behind the scam, with other primary suspects including a pharmacy employee, a pathologist and a general practitioner physician.
The fake prescriptions, reaching a whopping 40,000, were first issued and then ostensibly filled at pharmacies primarily in the greater Athens area and Corinth prefecture. During several raids of pharmacies, homes, doctors’ office and warehouses, in fact, more than 17,000 drug packages were recovered, including highly sought-after legal narcotics.
