Tung Sheng Wu, also known as David Wu, is believed to have been practicing dentistry illegally in B.C. since the 1990s. Aug. 7, 2012.
British Columbia's College of Dental Surgeons says there's still no sign of rogue dentist David Wu, though it is proceeding with legal action against two other unlicensed practitioners and investigating even more.
Mr. Wu, also known as Tung Sheng Wu, hasn't been seen in months. In mid-October, he was sentenced in absentia to three months in jail for practising without a licence.
Two days after his sentence was announced, the college's investigators raided an unrelated home in East Vancouver and seized dental equipment. Investigators reportedly shut down a third unlicensed clinic, though the college refused to comment at the time. On Thursday, spokeswoman Anita Wilks confirmed the college is taking action against the two other unlicensed practitioners.
"Those court files are still sealed and they will be sealed until we go back to court and ask for them to be unsealed, which we will do the next time we are back in court," she said in an interview, adding a date has not been set.
Ms. Wilks said the college is still investigating other illegal clinics, but she declined to provide further details.
Mr. Wu was first caught practising without a licence in 2003 and signed a court order agreeing to stop. But the college received a tip in April that he was again practising and his Burnaby clinic was raided in May.
In August, Fraser Health issued an alert telling 1,500 people who may have been his patients to get tested for blood-borne illnesses such as hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV. The health authority said Mr. Wu was not following proper infection-control procedures.
Later that month, Mr. Wu's vehicle was seized near the Vancouver airport, with dental equipment and his Canadian and Taiwanese passports inside. The college said he may have been trying to ship the vehicle to Toronto.
The college has spent more than $140,000 on the investigation. In addition to his jail sentence, Mr. Wu was also ordered to pay costs.
A Canada-wide arrest warrant remains in effect for Mr. Wu. The college has said he could still be in the Lower Mainland due to his family and personal connections. The college has urged anyone with information about Mr. Wu's whereabouts to contact its investigators, saying there's no reason to protect him.
Mr. Wu was first caught practising in Port Moody. He also appeared to have operated out of Coquitlam and was well-known for providing cheap services.
The college has said the East Vancouver raid two weeks ago was not linked in any way to Mr. Wu. Officials could be seen removing dental chairs and cardboard boxes from the basement of the modern, two-storey residence. The homeowner did not comment at the time.
Illegal dental clinics tend to be underground and secretive, which the college has said makes them difficult to shut down.