High-ranking cop medic linked to ghost patient drug fraud
FDA flagged prescriptions linked to dead patients, triggering major investigation
A senior police psychiatrist has landed in hot water after police uncovered a twisted drug racket involving the identities of hundreds of dead patients.
Police Colonel Anchulee Theerawongpaisal, a psychiatrist at Police General Hospital in Bangkok, was arrested last week after alprazolam, a powerful anti-anxiety drug, worth millions of baht was found stashed inside her police accommodation.
The bombshell case broke after Thailand’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA) flagged suspicious prescriptions during one of its routine monthly checks. Alarm bells rang when officials spotted drug orders linked to people who had already died.
Anchulee, who allegedly procured 15 million baht worth of alprazolam since last year, is one of seven doctors now facing serious legal action over the scandal.
Dr Thanakrit Jitareerat, assistant to the public health minister, and Chatchai Panichsupphaporn, Director of Narcotics Control and Legal Affairs at the FDA, filed a formal complaint on Wednesday with Provincial Police Region 1, calling for charges against the doctors.
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The complaint was accepted by Police Major General Chokchai Ngamwong, deputy commissioner of the region.
“This isn’t just a case of overprescribing,” said Dr Thanakrit. “We’re talking about a system that used 370 identities from a total of 3,909 deceased patients to funnel narcotics onto the streets.”
Investigations across 13 clinics revealed that nine were linked to suspicious orders, and six of the seven accused doctors were found to be working in private clinics, not public hospitals. Police believe these private clinics may have acted as suppliers for Anchulee.
Dr Thanakrit also urged police to probe potential charges of falsifying reports and using forged documents.
Anchulee’s colleagues at Police General Hospital were reportedly stunned by the revelations, with many describing her as “quiet” and “dedicated.” The FDA is now conducting a full audit of narcotics-related prescriptions across all implicated clinics, reported Bangkok Post.
Alprazolam, commonly known by the brand name Xanax, is classified in Thailand as a Type 2 controlled substance, making it illegal to distribute without proper authorisation.
If found guilty, the accused could face severe penalties under Thai narcotics laws.
As the investigation widens, officials are bracing for further arrests and the public is left reeling from a case that combines deception, misuse of trust, and a chilling abuse of the dead.
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