Overview of a Fraud Case Involving Social Security and Healthcare Cards in the Comtat Area
A Civil Guard operation led to the arrest of a pharmacist from the Comtat district and six associates, including five individuals in charge of nursing homes and a friend of the pharmacist. They were implicated in a fraud scheme that charged Social Security for drugs supposedly sold to nursing home patients who possessed cloned health cards. The investigation revealed a large-scale activity, with nearly 3,000 boxes of medications and more than 500 cloned health cards billed to Social Security, along with a considerable number of medical records from nursing home residents. The effort was part of a coordinated action with the Ministry of Health and the collaboration of health authorities to curb the misuse of public funds and patient information.
The inquiries began in October of the previous year when inspectors from the Ministry of Health’s Pharmacy Inspection Zone noted a seizure at a Comtat pharmacy and observed unusual activity around funded drug sales. Suspicions prompted an initial review by the National Health System, which uncovered administrative irregularities. In response, the Regional Health Directorate in Alicante contacted the Civil Guard to support a follow-up inspection.
Health inspectors, accompanied by regional officials and the Villena Civil Guard Judicial Police team, conducted the subsequent checks. They recovered cloned magnetic health cards, patient health information from the Generalitat Valenciana, and a large stock of medicine boxes lacking barcodes, commonly referred to as seal coupons.
Expired Medications and Storage Violations
During the pharmacy inspection, investigators found rooms that contained accumulated medications believed to be distributed alongside expired products, all stored with cleaning chemicals. This raised concerns about compliance with regulations governing the storage and handling of medicines.
Investigators also uncovered a database containing personal information of residents from several facilities. A person from Alicante, identified as a friend of the pharmacist, was observed leaving the pharmacy with a box containing more magnetic cards intended for cloning, along with a cabinet housing medical reports and handwritten patient documents.
Following the seizure of material that included about 3,000 boxes of medicines valued at more than 39,000 euros and billed to Social Security, as well as more than 500 cloned health cards and patient medical records, the Civil Guard expanded the investigation to identify those responsible for the alleged fraud tied to a Comtat municipality’s pharmacy.
The investigation established that patient health cards used at elderly and dependent care centers in the Alicante province were cloned with the knowledge of those managing the residences. The scheme relied on cardholders to present the cards for exemptions, while the actual medications were either not distributed or stored without proper coupon seals. The intended outcome was to bill the National Health System for medicines that were not properly dispensed, generating illicit profits for the establishment in question.
On January 19, investigative authorities questioned six friends of the pharmacist, aged 37 to 87, as well as five residence managers. All individuals faced potential charges related to Social Security fraud, public health violations, falsification of public documents, and privacy violations, including the transfer and disclosure of personal medical data without consent. Court No. 4 in Alcoy ordered prosecutions for fraud, and further proceedings were anticipated as the case developed.
The broader context of this case highlights the vulnerability of health and social care systems to fraudulent activity when illicit actors exploit patient data and welfare-funded drug distribution mechanisms. The authorities emphasized that the motive appeared to be financial gain through inflated billing to the Social Security system, rather than a shortage of medicines for those in need. The ongoing investigation continues to identify all individuals involved and to determine the extent of the fraud’s reach across facilities in the region.