73 people arrested in Melilla for €3.5 million Social Security fraud
The National Police have arrested 73 people in Melilla for simulating accidents and illnesses in order to collect false benefits. The scheme, which exceeded €3.5 million, involved a doctor and an administrative manager.
Mass fraud against Social Security in Melilla
The National Police have arrested 73 people resident in Melilla accused of orchestrating a fraud against Social Security exceeding €3.5 million, according to information released by the Superior Police Headquarters on Friday. The operation dismantled an organisation that simulated workplace and traffic accidents in order to obtain sick leave and incapacity benefits.
Those under investigation had registered themselves as self-employed workers in low-skilled professions—bricklaying, hairdressing, warehouse hand—but had assigned themselves disproportionately high contribution bases, reaching €4,000 per month. Just days later, they would report having suffered an accident or illness preventing them from working and would request the corresponding benefit.
Double collection through false employment contracts
Investigators verified that the majority of those implicated were simultaneously registered as employed workers under the General Regime of Social Security. This allowed them to accumulate two benefits: one as self-employed and another as salaried employees. Many of these employment contracts came from a small group of employers and had been formalised just days before the workers requested sick leave.
Alleged traffic accidents were the most frequent method. In these cases, other members of the scheme acted as witnesses to the incidents and even exchanged roles in order to also benefit from the fraud.
Irregular medical procedures
Investigators detected various irregularities in the medical documentation. All those under investigation resided in the same district of Melilla, visited the same health centre to extend their sick leave and presented injuries in identical parts of the body. Melillahoy.es reports that the same magnetic resonance imaging scan was presented on more than one occasion. A medical practitioner has been identified who attended to a large proportion of those implicated, who is also under investigation.
Approximately one year after beginning their sick leave, the affected individuals would be evaluated by a medical tribunal to determine whether they should be ordered to return to work or whether permanent incapacity with a lifelong pension should be recognised.
The administrative manager as organiser
Analysis of the files revealed that a very high percentage of cases was represented by a single person: an administrative manager who operates in Melilla. The Police point out that he had previously been arrested on several occasions for document falsification, fraud and aiding irregular immigration. There is no record of him being registered in administrative management or in law.
Testimony indicates that this person would have designed and organised the procedure, taking advantage of his administrative knowledge to coordinate the various activities involved. Officers conducted a search of his office where substantial documentation in physical and electronic format was seized for subsequent analysis.
Operation and results
The police operation, conducted in Melilla and continuing over the following days, resulted in the arrest of 73 people and the taking of a statement from another person in the capacity of a suspect not detained. The employers who carried out the false employment contracts have also become subjects of investigation.
Source: Google News ES — Crime (es)