An unusual case of medication theft recently occupied the detectives of Kurtz Detective Agency Hannover: Dr. Drießen, director of a private clinic in Hannover, contacted our private investigators because a considerable quantity of narcotics, primarily morphine and barbiturates, had been stolen. The investigators at Kurtz Detective Agency Hannover know that medication theft in hospitals is not uncommon – usually, however, under different circumstances than those described by Dr. Drießen. Most often, drug addicts or so-called “hospital wanderers” feign treatment and, in an apparently unobserved moment, gain access to narcotics to steal as much as possible to satisfy their addiction. Offenders are usually caught quickly, either in the act or because excessive greed makes them noticeable.

In our client’s case, however, things were somewhat different: this was not a single theft that would immediately lead to police involvement and a formal report. Instead, the theft appeared to span several months, with small amounts taken each time, so that initially the missing medications went unnoticed. A comparison with the inventory list and subsequent internal investigations revealed that one or two packages of prescription drugs were repeatedly removed. The Hannover private investigators of Kurtz Detective Agency were tasked with resolving the case.

 

The tip Dr. Drießen could provide was a first suspicion: Thea M., a nurse on the relevant ward, was known to have financial difficulties, had started working on the ward roughly at the same time the thefts began, and was indeed on duty each time a theft could later be traced. For our investigators from Hannover, a discreet approach is always essential: even if evidence points to Thea M. as the perpetrator, no one should be accused without solid proof – hence, irrefutable, legally admissible evidence had to be obtained by Kurtz Detective Agency Hannover.

 

Within the limits of the law, surveillance devices were initially installed by our Hannover investigators in the relevant area to capture visual proof, as further thefts were anticipated. Less than a week later, medication packages were removed from a cabinet on the ward that were not needed for ongoing treatment; about a week and a half later, the same thing happened again. Indeed, the video recordings of Kurtz Detective Agency Hannover indicated that Thea M. was in both cases the one taking the medications.

 

The next step was to clarify her motive and gather final proof. Our private investigators from Hannover continued to observe Thea M. over the following period, restricted for legal reasons to areas outside private residences. This, however, did not hinder the investigation: observations revealed that Thea M. was in contact with Hannover’s drug scene and regularly met with a dealer already known to Kurtz Detective Agency Hannover from a previous case. Even though the investigation reached such circles, meeting the client’s needs remained the top priority, keeping the focus on Thea M. Two meetings of the target person with the dealer were observed and recorded by our Hannover investigators, providing sufficient evidence to confront her.

The private investigators confronted Thea M. with the evidence but encountered denial: while she admitted to the acts, she showed surprising lack of insight, citing debts and low pay, claiming her work was undervalued and downplaying the thefts, insisting the clinic had enough. Our Hannover investigators, however, follow a principle: if circumstances allow, an out-of-court settlement between client and target is sought. Here, Thea M. was uncooperative, showed no remorse, and refused to acknowledge guilt. Consequently, our investigators advised Dr. Drießen to report the case to the police – after all, investigations revealed that Thea M. had stolen and resold narcotics worth over €12,000, constituting a criminal offence that could not be resolved privately. Our private detectives could therefore hand the case over to law enforcement with a clear conscience.

 

Thus, Kurtz Detective Agency Hannover was able to close the case to the client’s satisfaction, and Dr. Drießen could dismiss Thea M. from her position without concern.

Author: Gerrit Koehler

 

To preserve discretion and protect the privacy of clients and subjects, all names and locations in this case report have been changed beyond recognition.

 

Kurtz Detective Agency Hannover

Kampsriede 6A

D-30659 Hanover

Tel.: +49 511 2028 0016

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