Dsi Looking For Man Who Smuggled Cold Medicine Out Of Country

[Lite Beer]

DSI looking for man who smuggled cold medicine out of country

Piyanuch Thamnukasetchai,

Jakkapong Rawiwan

The Nation on Sunday

BANGKOK:-- DSI is investigating Central Udon Thani Hospital, Uttaradit's Thong Saen Khan Hospital, Si Sa Ket's Phu Sing Hospital, Kalasin's Kamalapisai Hospital and Chiang Mai's Doi Lor Hospital and Hot Hospital.

It says it has had preliminary information from the Public Health Ministry that another 22 hospitals may be involved in the medicine-smuggling network.

A DSI special case committee would consider taking this case up tomorrow, after which a full investigation could proceed, he said. The DSI already had two vital pieces of information: medicine was being siphoned out of hospitals; and it was being amassed in Chiang Mai's San Kamphaeng district to be sent to a drug gang in a neighbouring country.

But the DSI was not aware of the total quantity of medicine missing - the Health Ministry was checking on that, he said. The ministry was also responsible for punishing personnel involved in siphoning off the medicine.

He dismissed a report that the DSI would probe San Kamphaeng Hospital because of suspicion about the hospital's orders for cold medicine.

In Kalasin, police investigating 350,000 "missing" pseudo-ephedrine cold pills at Kamalapisai Hospital initially found that a former Roi Et Hospital employee implicated by Sodcheun Withojit, a pharmacist who is a suspect, as the buyer of the missing medicine, had nothing to do with the crime. She also suffered from a serious health problem.

Police plan to summon Sodcheun and the hospital chief again, as well as some 10 others suspected of being members of the network, Kamalapisai police superintendent Pol Colonel Wanchai Ronnachatchai said yesterday.

Police found no evidence to confirm the accusation against the former Roi Et Hospital employee. She also explained that she left her job due to a health problem and her husband worked as a scavenger. She said she knew Sodcheun as he rented a house in the same part of Muang Roi Et but they weren't very close. Her number was in the pharmacist's cellphone as he had called to ask about her health. The last time they contacted each other was in early March. She said she didn't do anything wrong and didn't know why the pharmacist had accused her.

-- The Nation 2012-03-25

[kurnell]

Thailand. The home of lame excuses.

[mrtoad]

Let me guess, it was a Burmese person involved. I'm sure that super sleuth Chalerm has got it all in hand.

[scorecard]

Let me guess, it was a Burmese person involved. I'm sure that super sleuth Chalerm has got it all in hand.

Talking of chalerm, he's currenty full of fire about executing convicted drug dealers within 15 days of guilty verdict

So what about those, if found guilty, of using the Thai hospital system to facilitate dealing in mass quantities of various drugs / chemicals needed to make the ya-ba and ice etc.

Come on Chalerm be fair, surely these people are just as quilty!

But let's be honest, those caught up in these hospital scam activities will mostly be mid to high ranking government staff, and therefore immune to severe if any punishment.

Some how the red / pt / udd war cries of 'no double standards' / 'equal justice for all' seem to have all been forgotten.

Are you surprised?

[slapout]

I guess the officials are looking for the truck driver who smuggled the ingrediants out of Thailnd. He most likely absconded, as is normal, so who do they put the bloodhounds on next?

The record is stuck and this is another repeat of the first verse.This bunch of Sherlocks would be stymied by a trail of bread crumbs. They would be lost following the hare trail on a hash run, much less finding their way home. Thank goodness they have drivers for their trips outside of the moo ban

[Colin Yai]

I have heard a whisper that Chalerm is seeking outside advice on the case ,enter stage left Inspector Clouseau

[anterian]

Let me guess, it was a Burmese person involved. I'm sure that super sleuth Chalerm has got it all in hand.

Talking of chalerm, he's currenty full of fire about executing convicted drug dealers within 15 days of guilty verdict

So what about those, if found guilty, of using the Thai hospital system to facilitate dealing in mass quantities of various drugs / chemicals needed to make the ya-ba and ice etc.

Come on Chalerm be fair, surely these people are just as quilty!

But let's be honest, those caught up in these hospital scam activities will mostly be mid to high ranking government staff, and therefore immune to severe if any punishment.

Some how the red / pt / udd war cries of 'no double standards' / 'equal justice for all' seem to have all been forgotten.

Are you surprised?

Chalerm is a good diversion for PT critics, it certainly works on you

[ramrod711]

AHA!, the crime is solved. These particular drugs do not count as part of the drug problem, or statistics, because they are not in Thailand. Good work Chalerm, right up to the standards we expect from you.

[Lite Beer]

DSI to take over case of missing pseudoephedrine–based medicine from hospitals

BANGKOK, March 25 – The Department of Special Investigation (DSI) on Monday will take over the case of missing pseudoephedrine-based cold pills from the police, said DSI chief Tharit Pengdit.

The DSI will work with the Public Health Ministry, the Food and Drug Administration and the Royal Thai Police to investigate the case.

On-site inspections will be conducted to find out how many private and state hospitals were involved in irregularities while purchasing and prescribing the pseudoephedrine-based cold pills which can be used as a precursor for producing methamphetamine.

All agencies under the Public Health Ministry are cooperating well in the investigation, the DSI chief said, confirming no information has implicated any high ranking public health officials as being involved in the case.

In another development, Paijit Warachit, Permanent Secretary for Public Health said the ministry is expected to receive a response letter from the Council of State this week on revising the category of pseudoephedrine-based cold pills.

The ministry proposed pseudoephedrine-based medicine be categorized as a psychotropic substances, the same type as morphine pills.

After deliberation by the Council of State, a new ministerial regulation will be issued, requiring that details of production, orders and patients prescribed the pseudoephedrine–based cold pills must be reported to the ministry.

After the new regulations go into effect, relevant agencies will be given 30 days to adjust their operations to be compatible with those regulations. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2012-03-25

[mrtoad]

I have heard a whisper that Chalerm is seeking outside advice on the case ,enter stage left Inspector Clouseau

Clouseau is far too clued in, I'd think the outside help may come from Mr Happy Toilet, he'll be able to flush out the criminals.

[mrtoad]

Chalerm is a good diversion for PT critics, it certainly works on you

Chalerm brings laughter into my day, pretty much everyday.

[Lite Beer]

Public health minister finds 7 officials at 6 state hospitals guilty of selling pseudoephedrine meds and will fire them /TAN_Network