- RIYADH: The National Anti-Corruption Commission has busted a gang which was involved in stealing vaccines, serums and equipment worth millions of riyals from the warehouses of the health affairs directorate, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Tuesday quoting a senior official.
“The key suspect was a storekeeper at the warehouse. He allegedly fabricated requests for supply of medicines and equipment for government hospitals and health centers in large quantities before taking delivery of the goods to sell to private establishments with the help of his accomplices,” commission chairman Muhammad Al-Sahreef said.
The commission swung into action after getting information that products belonging to the health directorate were in circulation in local markets and were bought by private hospitals and health centers, the official said.
He added that some of the items were sold after removing their unified GCC and the Ministry of Health codes, the official added.
“However, investigators busted the 20-man gang despite ingenious methods used by its members to conceal their identity," the official said, adding that the gang members, who belonged to different nationalities, frequently changed their mobile phone SIMs to avoid detection.
