PJ police have arrested a female doctor over an alleged scheme that siphoned millions from the national health service (SNS) by prescribing diabetes medication to people who didn’t actually have the disease.
Investigators say the doctor, along with another doctor, a lawyer and a private clinic, helped issue prescriptions for Type 2 diabetes drugs to clients who only wanted them for weight loss, all while entering false information into official prescription software to secure up to 95% state reimbursement.
According to the PJ, the suspected fraud may have cost Portuguese taxpayers as much as €3 million, with the group allegedly pocketing money through inflated or illegitimate SNS co-payments.
Police described the operation as a “well-structured plan” built to generate profits at the expense of public funds and the proper functioning of the healthcare system. Due to the scale of the suspected crimes, authorities carried out multiple searches and detained the main suspect for questioning.
Raids targeted the suspects’ homes, a law office, a medical clinic and two companies – believed to be shell firms – in Albufeira and Funchal, as well as accounting offices in Santa Maria da Feira and Lousada. The case is also connected to a separate tax-fraud investigation involving the same suspects.
Forty PJ officers were mobilised for “Operation Obélix,” which unfolded across Portugal, including inPorto, Vila Nova de Gaia, Lousada, Santa Maria da Feira, Albufeira and Funchal.
The detained doctor will appear before a judge for a first interrogation and possible precautionary measures, PJ police say.
The investigation is being led by the Porto Regional Public Prosecutor’s Office.
