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http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/284813/cold-pills-scandal-spreads
Cold pills scandal spreads
Published: 17/03/2012 at 08:34 PM
Online news: Local News
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As many as 30 public and private hospitals may be linked with a gang that smuggles cold medicines containing pseudoephedrine that is then used by illegal drug makers in Myanmar, according to the Department of Special Investigation.
The department was making progress in the investigation into the smuggling of cold and allergy tablets from three hospitals in three provinces: Udon Thani, Uttaradit and Chiang Mai, said Pol Lt Col Phong-in Inkhao, head of the DSI's security cases office.
Pseudoephedrine is a common decongestant and also a chemical precursor in the production of methamphetamine.
An investigation has found the pills confiscated from hospitals in Uttaradit and Udon Thani were linked to the arrest of a pseudoephedrine smuggling gang in Chiang Mai's San Kamphaeng district last month.
Police examined lot numbers on packages of the confiscated pills and found evidence that three more state-run hospitals, one private hospital, eight clinics and one drugstore were connected with the case in Chiang Mai.
This showed that an organised pseudoephedrine trafficking network was trying to collect cold pills in large quantities and smuggle them into the neighbouring country, officers said.
The smuggled pills were gathered in Chiang Mai's San Kamphaeng district before being sent across the border.
However, investigators suspected that people connected with as many as 30 public and private hospitals might be involved in helping smuggle the pills, Pol Lt Col Phong-in said.
Many public and private hospitals and clinics were found to have purchased pseudoephedrine-based pills in irregularly high quantities, he added.
Authorities revealed earlier that more than 37 million tablets of cold medicines containing pseudoephedrine had gone missing from Udon Thani Hospital over the past three years.
A senior pharmacist at the hospital was alleged to have smuggled nearly 65,000 cold and allergy pills out of the hospital late last month.
Police asked the hospital to review its purchases and the documents showed that in 2010, the hospital purchased 19.58 million pseudoephedrine-based pills but 19.43 million went missing.
Last year, it bought 17.5 million pills but 17.26 million could not be accounted for. So far this year, it had bought 1.09 million pills but 910,500 could not be found.
The Office of the Narcotics Control Board has frozen 7 million baht in the bank accounts of pharmacist Somchai Saekao and seized his car.
Other cases involving a total of 1.3 million missing pills are being investigated in Uttaradit and Kalasin.
The Public Health Ministry has ordered state hospitals to stop buying and distributing pseudoephedrine-based medicines.
Growing concern about abuse of pseudoephedrine-based medication led authorities to ban the over-the-counter sale of Actifed, a popular decongestant, in September last year. It is now a controlled prescription drug available only at hospitals.
Cold pills scandal spreads
Published: 17/03/2012 at 08:34 PM
Online news: Local News
Share
Tweet
As many as 30 public and private hospitals may be linked with a gang that smuggles cold medicines containing pseudoephedrine that is then used by illegal drug makers in Myanmar, according to the Department of Special Investigation.
The department was making progress in the investigation into the smuggling of cold and allergy tablets from three hospitals in three provinces: Udon Thani, Uttaradit and Chiang Mai, said Pol Lt Col Phong-in Inkhao, head of the DSI's security cases office.
Pseudoephedrine is a common decongestant and also a chemical precursor in the production of methamphetamine.
An investigation has found the pills confiscated from hospitals in Uttaradit and Udon Thani were linked to the arrest of a pseudoephedrine smuggling gang in Chiang Mai's San Kamphaeng district last month.
Police examined lot numbers on packages of the confiscated pills and found evidence that three more state-run hospitals, one private hospital, eight clinics and one drugstore were connected with the case in Chiang Mai.
This showed that an organised pseudoephedrine trafficking network was trying to collect cold pills in large quantities and smuggle them into the neighbouring country, officers said.
The smuggled pills were gathered in Chiang Mai's San Kamphaeng district before being sent across the border.
However, investigators suspected that people connected with as many as 30 public and private hospitals might be involved in helping smuggle the pills, Pol Lt Col Phong-in said.
Many public and private hospitals and clinics were found to have purchased pseudoephedrine-based pills in irregularly high quantities, he added.
Authorities revealed earlier that more than 37 million tablets of cold medicines containing pseudoephedrine had gone missing from Udon Thani Hospital over the past three years.
A senior pharmacist at the hospital was alleged to have smuggled nearly 65,000 cold and allergy pills out of the hospital late last month.
Police asked the hospital to review its purchases and the documents showed that in 2010, the hospital purchased 19.58 million pseudoephedrine-based pills but 19.43 million went missing.
Last year, it bought 17.5 million pills but 17.26 million could not be accounted for. So far this year, it had bought 1.09 million pills but 910,500 could not be found.
The Office of the Narcotics Control Board has frozen 7 million baht in the bank accounts of pharmacist Somchai Saekao and seized his car.
Other cases involving a total of 1.3 million missing pills are being investigated in Uttaradit and Kalasin.
The Public Health Ministry has ordered state hospitals to stop buying and distributing pseudoephedrine-based medicines.
Growing concern about abuse of pseudoephedrine-based medication led authorities to ban the over-the-counter sale of Actifed, a popular decongestant, in September last year. It is now a controlled prescription drug available only at hospitals.
