Bilal Kara arrested in connection with healthcare fund fraud

Bilal Kara, owner of the private eye hospital Sante Plus and former honorary consul of Macedonia in Turkey, has been arrested as part of a police operation targeting financial abuses involving health insurance funds. Kara, who was previously wanted by Albanian authorities, was apprehended alongside Geriana Arapi, the former director of the hospital.

The investigation involves a criminal group including current and former officials from the Health Insurance Fund. Authorities allege a scheme where patients were illegally charged private fees for surgical procedures that had already been fully invoiced and paid for by the insurance fund. This practice reportedly affected between 3,000 and 4,000 patients.

In addition to tax evasion allegations exceeding one million euros, police reports indicate that during searches, officers discovered 27 types of medications with suspicious or expired expiration dates, unrecorded payments, and unregistered employees. The operation is part of a broader crackdown on organized crime and serious financial irregularities within the healthcare sector.