“The investigations target 14 suspects, including nine doctors, three pharmacists and two managers of pharmaceutical companies,’’ Hamburg state prosecutions spokeswoman Nana Frombach said. Tuesday’s operation, which involved 420 police officers and six prosecutors, was carried out in the states of Hamburg, Schleswig-Holstein and Lower Saxony.

 

“It is about bribery and corruption in the healthcare sector and accounting fraud, both in connection with the prescription of and billing for cytostatics,’’ Frombach said.

 

Cytostatics are used in chemotherapy treatments for cancer. According to the spokeswoman, the potential damages are in the millions of euros. The focus was initially on safeguarding evidence. At a pharmacy in the Hamburg city centre, police officers could be seen carrying moving boxes into the premises to remove evidence. “Arrest warrants for the suspects have not yet been issued,’’ Frombach said.