The First Specialized Prosecutor's Office Against Organized Crime and the National Police managed to dismantle a network dedicated to the theft and sale of supplies and medicines from the Social Security Fund (CSS).

The operation resulted in the recovery of multiple supplies and articles that had been stolen from different polyclinics, as well as the capture of a total of 12 suspects, of which four are officials of the CSS and one of the National Oncological Institute (ION).

Prosecutor Emeldo Márquez detailed this Friday that the investigations began last April, when they proceeded to corroborate that the suspects were dedicating themselves to stealing medical supplies from the deposits of the CSS polyclinics.

He explained that as part of these investigations, today a total of 23 search procedures and records were carried out in residences and commercial premises, among which he mentioned clinics, distributors, printers and mini-supermarkets, in which it was possible to locate a series of articles related to hospitals and that were stolen.

Likewise, two ocular inspection procedures are being carried out in the CSS "in order to verify the mobility and the respective documentation of the supplies that were recovered today."

“Among the supplies that were recovered, we can mention that we have until now and that are still being counted, 75 paper towel packages, 70 boxes of toilet paper, a large amount of medicines, defibrillators, signed blank disability notebooks that were sold, barcodes that were used to change the registry or the original barcode numbering of the CSS, containers for collection of samples, surgical gowns, boxes of swab sample kits, among other medical supplies ”, indicated Márquez.

He added that the crimes for which this investigation is carried out are: against the public administration in the modality of the different forms of embezzlement that carries a penalty of 4 to 10 years, and the crime against collective security in the modality of illicit association which carries a penalty of 3 to 5 years in prison.

He added that the 12 apprehended will be taken in the next few hours before a judge of guarantees for the hearings of imputation, legalization of the apprehension and application of precautionary measures.

"We have within the investigation sufficient elements of conviction to determine that these people in a concerted manner were working, helping each other to be able to subtract the supplies from the different deposits of CSS polyclinics," said the Prosecutor.

It is worth mentioning that the raids were carried out at different points in the provinces of Panama and Panama Oeste.

CSS collaborates in the investigation

For its part, the CSS reported on Thursday afternoon that it is collaborating with the Public Ministry in the investigation that is being carried out for the theft of supplies and medicines from the deposits of that entity.

As indicated, the collaborators will provide the necessary data, reports and declarations to the competent authorities, while cataloging this situation as a criminal act against those who buy these products.

"The CSS will not tolerate any action to the detriment of the institutional patrimony, and very particularly the theft of supplies and drugs that directly threaten the lives of our patients," emphasized the CSS.