In July, the Guardia Civil in Lanzarote detained eight individuals as part of Operation BAYAM. The charges include professional misconduct, data breach, fraud, and negligent homicide. Another person is also being investigated for potential involvement in negligent homicide. All those detained were employees of a healthcare centre in Costa Teguise.
The investigation began on February 19th, following a resident’s complaint about various alleged crimes at a well-known clinic in the area. The Guardia Civil’s subsequent inquiries confirmed the resident’s claims, identifying numerous criminal activities and those responsible for them.
Professional misconduct uncovered
The investigation revealed that several individuals were practicing as nurses without proper qualifications or licenses. These individuals were found to have either incomplete nursing qualifications or held only auxiliary healthcare certifications. Despite this, the clinic’s management had approved and allowed these individuals to practice nursing.
Fraudulent practices and overcharging
During the investigation, the Guardia Civil discovered that the clinic was involved in fraudulent billing practices. Surgical procedures were billed irregularly, sometimes costing patients more than double the standard rates. Moreover, these surgeries were performed by unqualified personnel, posing severe risks to patients’ health, particularly in cases of surgical complications.
Breach of confidentiality
The clinic was also found to be involved in a severe breach of patient confidentiality. Sensitive medical data was reportedly shared through a popular social media messaging service without any controls in place, constituting a potential data breach. A significant number of the affected patients were women.
Negligent homicide incident
One of the most serious findings involved an incident where an unqualified individual responded to a medical emergency at a hotel in Costa Teguise. The individual called for a basic life support ambulance to transport the patient to the clinic, despite lacking the necessary equipment and qualified staff to handle the patient’s condition. The patient subsequently died, leading to charges of negligent homicide against the involved parties.
International cooperation and further actions
The Guardia Civil has sought international cooperation, working with German police through the UOPJ of Las Palmas to further investigate the case. The Unit in Costa Teguise requested search warrants from the Arrecife Court of Instruction Number 1, allowing searches at the clinic and another related business in Madrid. This has resulted in the seizure of substantial documentation currently being analysed with assistance from the EDITE specialists of the Guardia Civil in Las Palmas. Further arrests are possible as the investigation continues.
The detainees and their case files have been sent to the Arrecife guard court for further judicial proceedings.