A retired army colonel and a doctor from the Veterans General Hospital in Bangkok have been arrested for allegedly orchestrating a multimillion-baht medical fraud scheme involving the resale of overprescribed medication. The arrests were part of a series of police raids conducted on Wednesday across multiple provinces, including Bangkok, Chon Buri, Lop Buri, and Prachin Buri.
Authorities identified the suspects as Col Kanyarat Jitprasong, 59, and Dr Barinda Ujawathee. Police allege that Col Kanyarat recruited individuals in Lop Buri to seek medical treatment from Dr Barinda, who then prescribed excessive medication based on misdiagnosed conditions. The drugs were reportedly collected at a storage site in Bangkok before being resold to pharmacies in various provinces.
The arrests followed a month-long investigation that uncovered a network of facilitators working with hospital staff to exploit the prescription system. Police found that nearly 29% of the hospital’s drug orders over a seven-year period were linked to Dr Barinda. The scheme reportedly focused on expensive medications, including foreign-manufactured drugs, that were fraudulently obtained and resold for profit.
During the raids, police seized large quantities of pharmaceuticals, including blood thinners, along with 10.9 million baht in cash, land deeds, and falsified pharmaceutical records. Investigators also identified six pharmacies potentially involved in the illegal resale of prescription drugs. One unlicensed facility was operating as a pharmacy without a licensed pharmacist present.
The estimated financial damage from the scheme stands at 60 million baht, with around 40 million baht allegedly transferred into accounts controlled by Col Kanyarat.
The arrests stemmed from a complaint filed by Gen Detnitit Luangngamkum, director-general of the War Veterans Organization of Thailand, who reported medical fraud dating back to 2018. In addition to the two main suspects, police arrested six others and issued summonses for four more individuals.
