[Hellenic Police]
Authorities have taken down a criminal ring accused of issuing fake medical prescriptions and illegally distributing prescription drugs. Six individuals, including a 73-year-old pathologist from Athens, face charges for their roles in the scheme.
Investigators allege the ring used stolen personal health IDs (AMKA) to issue over 189,000 prescriptions in the past five years, with roughly 10% tied to narcotic medications. The drugs were then distributed to addicts and sold abroad.
Among the accused is a 42-year-old Egyptian national, who allegedly used people’s personal health data, allowing the network to generate false prescriptions. Authorities also implicated eight pharmacists and three other doctors in the scheme.
The fraudulent prescriptions caused financial damage to Greece’s public health system, estimated at €50,000. Investigators found over €100,000 in unexplained funds in the Egyptian suspect’s accounts. Police launched the investigation after private citizens discovered unauthorized prescriptions linked to their health IDs.