Cancer victims swindled in Palma

FIVE people in Palma have been arrested by the National Police for selling a ‘cancer cure’ which had not been approved.

To make matters worse for those who were ‘conned’ into paying more than €25,000 each for treatment those involved were professors in the local university and the sales were made through a Foundation that they had created.

In order to try to avoid any accusations of defrauding patients and their families, they suggested that if significant donations were made to their organisation, they would be able to undertake further studies and make the ‘cure’ available to them.

So far, dozens of people have confirmed that they paid money for the fake cure and it would appear that at least €600,000 was collected before the Directorate General of Economic and Agricultural Management of the Department of Health, Family and Social Welfare of the Government of the Balearic Islands stepped in.

It has also been discovered that the same foundation was also about to try to market a fake Alzheimer’s drug but this was stopped due to the arrests and officers are waiting to see whether any other victims from around Spain come forward.

No drug had been approved by the Spanish Agency of Medicines and Health Products (AEMPS) and the sale was, according to the National Police, a clear case of aggravated fraud.