Pharmacist and Accomplice Charged in Major Prescription Drug Ring

Israel's State Prosecutor's Office has filed an indictment against David Attar, 74, and pharmacist Jamil Suaed, 36, for allegedly operating a large-scale scheme to distribute dangerous narcotic drugs using forged prescriptions. The pair is accused of conspiring to produce thousands of pills and patches containing controlled substances, which were then sold to the public.

Attar and Suaed face charges including conspiracy to commit a crime, using forged documents, fraud, and drug offenses. Attar is also charged with forgery to obtain benefits and money laundering, while Suaed faces charges for dispensing prescription drugs illegally. Prosecutors are seeking their detention until the end of legal proceedings, citing the significant danger posed by the quantities of drugs distributed and the breach of trust by a licensed pharmacist.

According to the indictment, the operation ran for approximately six months from the "Club Pharm" pharmacy in the "Em HaDerech" mall in Beit Yanai, where Suaed served as the responsible pharmacist. Attar allegedly obtained dozens of forged medical prescription forms, ID cards, and supplementary documents, along with 18 stamps from specialist physicians. He used these to forge 117 prescriptions with false details, including the names of dozens of citizens, some of whom were unaware their identities were used.

To conceal the fraud, Attar reportedly kept three logbooks detailing the citizens whose identities he used, withdrawal dates, and drug types. He visited the pharmacy numerous times, and Suaed supplied him with medications despite knowing the prescriptions were fake, without proper identification and in violation of professional duties. The forged prescriptions contained errors in drug names and medical specialties, names of non-existent or retired doctors, and identical handwritten signatures from different physicians.

Suaed allegedly charged Attar between 400 and 500 shekels in cash per prescription, pocketing approximately 58,000 shekels. During the operation, Suaed dispensed 690 fentanyl patches, 1,560 Percocet tablets, and 3,030 Ritalin tablets, among other drugs, to Attar. The prosecution warned that using these medications without medical supervision can lead to respiratory arrest, liver damage, and death. Attar then allegedly sold the drugs to others for distribution to the public, with the money laundering charges against him amounting to at least 335,500 shekels.