Cops nab woman in possession of 58 fake medical certificates

IPOH: Police arrested a 33-year old stationery shop owner after she was found with 58 fake medical certificates at a premise in Slim River on Monday.
Perak Commercial Crime Investigation Department chief Supt Lee Ewe Kiang said they believe more people could be involved in the scam.
"This is the first time we have stumbled onto such a case. We hope to make more arrest with the detention of the woman," he said, adding that initial investigations revealed that the illegal activity has been going on since 2011 although the certificates issued were sold this year.
He said among the clients were students from Institutions of Higher learning who bought the medical certificates for RM18 each while factory workers and civil servants paid RM25.
Lee disclosed that they stumbled onto, among other items, original medical certificate book belonging to Slim River hospital and hoped to arrest the "inside" person at the hospital.
He said the suspect, being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating and other charges which include falsifying and selling medical certificates, has no previous criminal records.
"We have asked organisations who accepted the medical certificates to lodge police reports so as to facilitate their investigations," he added.
The modus operandi is for a buyer to send a SMS to the suspect to book the certificates with particulars written before they are collected at the shop for a fee.
The certificates are xerox copies of the original documents.
Relating the arrest, Lee said, acting on a tip off the police conducted a week survelliance before the team headed by Inspector Mohd Farhan Jamion from the state commercial crime investigation department raided the shop located at Jalan Medan Niaga Pasar, Slim River at 7.15pm.
Police found in the premise 58 fake medical certificates including time off chits from Slim River Hospital, six fake medical certificates with the names of the patients written on it, and original medical certificate book with the name of the doctor from Slim River hospital.
Also seized were nine rubber stamps bearing the names of the doctors from Slim River Hospital, Slim River Health Clinic, Kuala Lumpur Hospital and Sungkai Health Clinic.
Police also seized eight rubber stamps that of Sultanah Aminah Hospital Jalan Abu Bakar, Johor, Slim River Community Polyclinic, Slim River Hospital Emergency Ward, Emergency and Accident Department Slim River Hospital, a stamp bearing the name of a nurse from Slim River Clinic, an assistant medical officer from Slim River Health Clinic, a stamp bearing "Certified True Copy" and a Cash stamp.
Four books containing the names of customers who bought the certificates were also found.
According to Lee, only one doctor from the Slim River Hospital had lodged a police report.