Mother suspected of drugging her daughters to collect national insurance benefits

A Netanya resident was arrested on Sunday on suspicion she drugged her children in order to receive disability benefits and special services from the National Insurance.

The 44-year-old mother of eight was arrested following a joint operation by the police and the National Insurance Investigations Division.

According to police, she would sedate her six- and seven-year-old daughters before arriving at the medical evaluation committees, where she alleged they both had special needs, receiving benefits estimated at up to NIS 50,000 ($15,600) per month.

It was later revealed she had also lied to authorities about her other six children — the youngest being 6-years-old and the oldest 18-years-old — claiming that all of them have various special needs, despite the fact the children were perfectly healthy.

Police investigators at the Netanya police station arrested the suspect and seized from her home various medical documents. Welfare officials also questioned and took the children.

The woman was set to be brought to the Petah Tikva Magistrate’s Court on Monday for her remand to be extended.