Taoyuan prosecutors seek 12 years for doctor who sold sleeping pills to drug dealer

Taoyuan, Aug. 27 (CNA) The Taiwan Taoyuan District Prosecutors Office said Thursday it has indicted a doctor accused of illegally supplying sleeping pills to a drug dealer, seeking a 12-year prison sentence and NT$13 million (US$409,967) in fines.

The case involving the 65-year-old physician, surnamed Wu (吳), came to light during a Taipei City Police Department investigation into a drug dealer surnamed Wei (魏), according to the prosecutors office.

Investigators traced sleeping pills sold to Wei by a clinic in Taoyuan's Guanyin District, prompting prosecutors to establish a task force because the case involved the illegal distribution of controlled drugs, prosecutors said.

Authorities subsequently focused their investigation on Wu, a doctor at the clinic who is also registered as the person in charge.

Wu allegedly supplied Wei with sleeping pills, including Modipanol and Stilnox, by falsifying records and adding the drugs to prescriptions issued to patients without their knowledge.

During a joint raid on Wu's clinic on April 15, Taoyuan prosecutors, the city's Department of Public Health and Taipei police seized 21,924 Stilnox tablets, 846 Modipanol tablets, prescription forms and NT$16.29 million in cash, prosecutors said.

Modipanol contains flunitrazepam, which is classified as a Category 3 narcotic in Taiwan, while Stilnox contains zolpidem, a Category 4 narcotic.

Prosecutors said Wu admitted during questioning to violating the law, but they nevertheless sought his detention on suspicion of selling and distributing narcotics.

A court later granted Wu bail of NT$400,000.

Following the conclusion of the investigation, prosecutors charged Wu with selling and distributing, as well as possessing with intent to sell and distribute, Category 3 and Category 4 narcotics under the Narcotics Hazard Prevention Act.

Wu was also charged with forgery under the Criminal Code.

Prosecutors are seeking a total sentence of 12 years in prison and fines totaling NT$13 million.