The Department of Special Investigation is to take over the probe into missing cold pills after the number of state hospitals implicated in the smuggling of medications containing a stimulant used in the production of narcotics grew to eight.
Soem Ngam hospital in Lampang province and Nong Ki hospital in Buri Ram are the latest two to have been found covering up their losses of cold pills.
The Public Health Ministry has completed its two-week preliminary investigation into missing cold pills containing pseudoephedrine, a precursor in methamphetamine production.
Of the 875 hospitals under its umbrella, the ministry found eight were involved in diverting the medicine in a trans-border smuggling operation.
The other six hospitals are Udon Thani hospital, Thong Saen Khan hospital in Uttaradit province, Kamalasai hospital in Kalasin, Hod and Doi Lo hospitals in Chiang Mai, and Phu Sing hospital in Si Sa Ket.
Seven directors and pharmacists from the six hospitals had already been punished, said permanent secretary Paijit Warachit, and executives and staff from Soem Ngam and Nong Ki hospitals are under investigation.
Those involved in the cover-up of the disappearing drugs would face disciplinary charges as soon as the official report is released, he said.
Dr Paijit said Chiang Mai's San Sai hospital would have to be investigated further.
The hospital claimed its missing cold pills had been distributed to its network of tambon clinics.
The DSI's special cases committee, chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yubamrung, yesterday resolved to take up the case, said DSI chief Tarit Pengdith.
The DSI will work with the Public Health Ministry, the FDA, the Royal Police Office, the Office of Narcotics Control Board and the Scientific Crime Detection Division, said Mr Tarit.
It will apply special measures to investigate the smuggling of cold pills, including use of electronic devices to tap the telephone conversations of suspects.
The DSI's initial investigation into 13 hospitals and clinics suspected of involvement in the cold pills scam found some links to the arrest of a pseudoephedrine smuggling gang in Chiang Mai's San Kamphaeng district on Feb 18, said Mr Tarit.
The DSI will today ask police investigation teams to hand over their investigation reports.
Public Health Minister Witthaya Buranasiri last month banned over-the-counter sales of cold pills containing pseudoephedrine.
They can now only be prescribed by doctors at hospitals and clinics. However, of 413 pharmacies randomly checked, 29 were found to still be selling the remedies, said Food and Drug Administration secretary-general Pipat Yingseree. They will each have their licences revoked for at least three months.
Police say 48.32 million cold pills containing pseudoephedrine have been confiscated in 40 seizures between 2006 and 2012. Up to 36 million of the tablets had been smuggled into Thailand from overseas, particularly from South Korea, he said. The Public Health Ministry is proposing to list medicines containing pseudoephedrine as controlled substances under the Psychotropic Substances Act.
Meanwhile, the Criminal Court yesterday sentenced four tribespeople _ Arphae, alias Kasem sae Yang, 31; Jalae Jaha, 27; Nathee, alias Dao Naju, 23; and Nu Najoo, 31, to 20 years in prison each for smuggling more than 8 million cold pills containing pseudoephedrine between May 10 and Nov 24 last year.
Arphae's penalty was later halved for his confession, while the other three had their terms reduced to 13 years and 4 months as they had given useful testimonies during the investigation.
