An extensive investigation into a suspected disability parking permit fraud scheme involving an online application system has led to extended arrests of eight suspects, including a doctor who allegedly approved forged medical documents.
The National Fraud Investigation Unit continues to probe what appears to be a widespread scam involving the Transportation Ministry's online system for issuing disability parking permits. Among those arrested is a physician suspected of knowingly signing falsified medical documents. An additional twelve suspects were detained for questioning and released under restrictive conditions.
Police sources indicate that more arrests are expected, with investigators estimating the total number of suspects could reach approximately 200. The fraud scheme apparently operated with relative ease after the introduction of an online application system that eliminated the need for in-person medical examinations.
In one particularly brazen case, a suspect submitted fraudulent medical documentation claiming to be a leg amputee who used a wheelchair. The application was approved, granting him a permanent disability parking permit. Police surveillance later captured the same individual standing perfectly normally on both legs.
The investigation, which began ten months ago following an alert from the Transportation Ministry, was prompted by a suspicious surge in disability permit applications. While the number of permits issued between 2018 and 2020 ranged from 20,000 to 90,000, more than 665,000 permits have been issued since 2021.
Officials note that a large portion of legitimate applications come through the National Insurance Institute and the Defense Ministry, which require in-person medical examinations. The investigation focuses specifically on fraudulent applications through the online system that bypassed physical examinations.
Investigators believe tens of thousands, possibly hundreds of thousands, of disability permits were issued to individuals who falsely claimed disabilities. The suspects face charges including money laundering, bribery, conspiracy, and forgery.
The presiding judge who extended the suspects' detention described the case as "a extensive scheme of fraud, conspiracy, money laundering, bribery, and obstruction of justice, all conducted systematically within a well-oiled criminal enterprise."
The disability permits in question provide significant benefits, including access to disabled parking spaces, permission to park in no-parking zones and on sidewalks, use of public transportation lanes, and exemption from various fees.
The fraudulent scheme is estimated to have cost the state hundreds of millions of shekels in lost revenue.
In response to the investigation's findings, which became public yesterday, the Transportation Ministry is expected to initiate a recall of disability permits issued between 2021-2024.
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