EOPYY fraud documents by counterfeit prescription ring members on camera.

One member has parked his car on the side of the road and is carrying boxes of thousands of illegal prescription drugs in broad daylight.

Their illegal activity, which resulted in the embezzlement of EOPYY with 3.5 million euros, did not stop even at night. The members of the ring, who were arrested by financial police officers, transport drugs from cooperating pharmacies on motorcycles, even in bags on foot.

In some cases, they went two by two to pharmacies in order to collect money. All the drugs were taken to illegal warehouses and from there sold on the black market.

What is being investigated?

According to the report, the next stage of the police investigation is the route and disposal of the drugs that come from the illegal prescriptions on the black market, essentially as some prices of the drugs in foreign countries are three times and four times the price they are bought in Greece . From a first investigation, there are some dispositions of drugs in Cyprus and in some European countries. Also, the next stage of the investigation includes the freezing of the accounts of members of the ring and the lifting of bank secrecy in order to identify revenues that are not justified.

The activity of the ring began to be revealed when two EOPYY insured persons found out that prescriptions had been filled out in their names for taking sedative drugs, from a certain pharmacy in Sepolia, by doctors who were members of the ring, but they did not receive them. The first complaint was made to EOPYY on October 18 and the second on December 15, 2023.

Georgiadis to SKAI: We are planning a confirmation message (OTP) on the mobile phone, for consent to the prescription

The fraud at the expense of EOPYY revealed by the financial police investigation will be the occasion to change the method of confirming the immaterial prescription, as announced by the Minister of Health through SKAI. “A confirmation message will come so that we can be sure that the process will be done correctly,” said Adonis Georgiadis.

The roles of the circuit

According to the Authorities, a leading role in the ring was played by a pathologist who resided in Cyprus and held an organic position in a health center in Boeotia. He allegedly caused a financial loss to EOPYY amounting to 3 million euros. An obstetrician and his 40-year-old cardiologist wife caused a financial loss of 300,000 euros to the organization.

The 16 members of the ring were prosecuted, among others, for:

  • Address of a criminal organization
  • Fraud and false declaration against the State over €120,000
  • Money laundering
  • Distinguished drug trafficking

The accused will appear before the investigator on Wednesday and Thursday morning.