Oral infections and rusty instruments: two fraudulent dentists discovered in Baix Llobregat

BarcelonaDentists without a degree, rusty metal instruments that they later inserted into the mouth and expired or non-approved medications. Clients with oral infections. All this happened in two fraudulent dental clinics in Olesa de Montserrat and Esplugues de Llobregat, which have already been sealed by the police and closed by the judicial authority. On June 17, the Mossos d'Esquadra arrested five people between 32 and 60 years old as alleged perpetrators of crimes of identity theft, fraud, professional intrusion, and assault. These would be four fake dentists and a clinic owner.

In fact, the origin of the investigation is the testimony of a victim who went to one of these clinics and ended up with a significant oral infection, according to sources consulted by ARA. This person also investigated on their own and discovered that, apparently, the dentists did not have a qualification.

All this information ended up in a Mossos d'Esquadra file, who began the process of taking statements from other victims of these alleged mistreatments and conducted discreet surveillance of the centers. Some victims explained that they had not only suffered physical sequelae from the treatments, but had also been defrauded of money. How? By paying, for example, for an entire treatment upfront that was never provided.

Searches and seizures

Within the framework of the investigation, the Departments of Labor and Health collaborated in the inspection, with the aim of detecting possible administrative and criminal offenses related to the activity that was being carried out there. With everything on the table, the investigators requested judicial entry and search of the clinics under investigation, which were authorized by the corresponding court of instance and instruction. On June 17, the police accessed two dental clinics in Olesa and Esplugues and corroborated that a comprehensive service of entirely fraudulent medical and surgical treatments was being offered there.

Computer equipment, as well as appointment diaries, were also seized, and it was found that the minimum technical and sanitary conditions were not being met with the material and equipment used in this type of clinic. They even found rusty equipment and expired sanitary products there.

The agents of the Martorell Investigation Unit and the Central Consumer Unit police sealed off the two centers and subsequently the court handling the case ratified the provisional closure due to the risk to people's health. The arrested individuals, with no prior police record, were brought before the Martorell duty court.

Now, with the public exposure of this case, the Mossos do not rule out the appearance of new victims of these two fraudulent dental clinics.