100 detained for issuing fake prescriptions across Turkey

Anti-smuggling and organized crime police units conducted simultaneous operations in 32 provinces, including Adana, Bursa and Diyarbakır, at 266 addresses upon intelligence that a crime organization was issuing fake prescriptions.

A total of 100 suspects were detained for allegedly sending high-priced cancer, chemotherapy and psychotherapy drugs bought by fake prescriptions and health certificates to war zones in Iraq and Syria as well as the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) by unearned gain and defrauding the country’s Social Security Institution (SGK).

One professor at Dicle University was reported to be among the eight suspects who were detained in operations in the southeastern province of Diyarbakır.

Detained suspects in Istanbul were transferred to the Istanbul Security General Directorate following a health check.

Commenting on the operations, Health Minister Mehmet Müezzinoğlu said “those who do wrong would pay the price.”

“We hope no colleagues were doing wrong in the incidents, but if there were they will pay a heavy price. If this is drug or treatment abuse, we hope the follow-up will be done in the most sensitive way. This is a process where the security and intelligence forces, the prosecution and the judiciary have stepped in. Those who do wrong will pay the price,” Müezzinoğlu said.