Investigations into illicit sales of "de-compression injections" in the Rhine-Main area have uncovered significant financial losses for health insurance companies, reaching millions.

The Hessian State Criminal Investigation Office (HLKA) has announced the dismantling of a healthcare fraud ring, following a series of investigations against a 41-year-old medical assistant from Frankfurt.

The operation, conducted by the Central Unit for Medical Economic Crime (ZMWK) of the HLKA, involved the search of three apartments in Frankfurt and Darmstadt, and a practice of an unsuspecting general practitioner in Frankfurt. During these searches, practice management software, forged prescriptions for "weight loss injections," forged sick notes, vaccination cards, cash, jewelry, a vehicle, and several firearms were found and secured.

The ZMWK is responsible for coordinating investigations into fraudulent billing and corruption in the healthcare sector in Hesse. It focuses its investigations on practicing physicians or clinics, as well as criminal activities of auxiliary and therapeutic service providers such as pharmacies, therapeutic facilities, nursing homes, hearing aid acousticians, and opticians.

The illegally obtained, high-value medications were then resold, causing a six-figure sum of damage and affecting various health insurance companies. The investigation was led by the Central Public Prosecutor's Office for Economic Crime in the Healthcare Sector at the Public Prosecutor's Office Fulda.

The 41-year-old medical assistant, along with a 31-year-old woman and a 50-year-old man, is suspected of running a trade in high-priced diabetes medications, known as "weight loss injections." Since 2023, the suspects have been secretly using the practice software of the unsuspecting general practitioner to create forged prescriptions with the personal data of unsuspecting patients. These forged prescriptions were then sold or redeemed in more than 100 pharmacies, mainly in South Hesse and the Rhine-Main area.

The ZMWK conducts independent investigations into complex and high-profile cases, working closely with the ZSMS. The search operation involved officers from the Central Unit for Medical Economic Crime of the HLKA, along with support forces from the Police Presidencies of Frankfurt, South Hesse, and the Hessian Police Presidency.

For more information, please contact Frederik Voß at the Hessian State Criminal Investigation Office, reachable by phone at 0611/83-8310 or email at [email protected]. The official website for the HLKA is http://www.polizei.hessen.de.