Police have arrested a retired colonel and a doctor at the Veterans General Hospital for alleged embezzlement through the resale of overprescribed medication worth about 60 million baht.
The two women were taken into custody during police raids on 17 locations in Bangkok, Chon Buri, Lop Buri and Prachin Buri early Wednesday morning.
Six other suspects were also arrested in the raids that capped a month-long investigation, said Pol Maj Gen Charoonkiat Pankaew, deputy commissioner of the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB).
Police arrested Col Kanyarat Jitprasong, 59, and Dr Barinda Ujawathee at their respective homes in the Kiakkai area and on Lat Phrao 71 Road in Bangkok.
Both women worked at the Veterans General Hospital in Bangkok. Col Kanyarat had earlier retired from Phramongkutklao Hospital, not far from the veterans’ hospital.
Col Kanyarat allegedly arranged for people in Lop Buri province to seek treatment from Dr Barinda at the Veterans General Hospital.
Dr Barinda allegedly misdiagnosed their illness and prescribed excessive medication. The dispensed medicine was stored at a laundry on Rama IV Road in Bangkok before being distributed for resale at pharmacies in various provinces.
Authorities on Wednesday seized large quantities of illicit medicines, including Pradaxa blood thinners, and found 10.9 million baht in cash, land deeds and falsified pharmaceutical records.
Gen Detnitit Luangngamkum, director-general of the War Veterans Organization of Thailand, had earlier complained to police about medical fraud that he said started back in 2018.
Pol Maj Gen Charoonkiat said the case involved two groups: medical staff at the hospital who ordered the drugs and a network of facilitators, including Col Kanyarat, who recruited people to visit the hospital for prescriptions. The latter received compensation for each prescription filled, with significant bonuses for the network leaders.
The investigation revealed that the scheme involved fraudulent prescriptions for drugs, often medications for chronic conditions, including expensive foreign-manufactured ones, which were resold for a significant profit.
Investigators said that Dr Barinda accounted for nearly 29% of all drug orders at the hospital over the seven-year period.
Police also found that six out of 11 pharmacies investigated were potentially involved in illicit activities, including selling controlled substances without licensed pharmacists present.
One unlicensed building was found operating as a pharmacy, they said.
Damage was estimated at 60 million baht, with about 40 million allegedly having been transferred into accounts held by Col Kanyarat.
The other six suspects arrested were identified as Sompraj Kenthaworn, 49; Capt Phawana Kenthaworn, 49; Suri Thiranutti, 50; Sompong Kitcharoenphaisal, 53; Tinnakorn Chanmuang, 49; and Apinya Jorjarat, 56. Four additional suspects have been summoned to acknowledge charges.
