Man Robs Pharmacy Using Syringe
Posted on September 24, 2010It seems that a syringe has now become a weapon. According to a WA Today report, a man used a syringe to hold up a Northbridge pharmacy in order to obtain a number of pharmaceuticals to feed an addiction.
Police say the man entered the pharmacy/news agency business just before 11:30am and demanded drugs from two staff members. He was able to secure a number of different medications and escaped, only to be arrested 12 hours later.
The man has been charged with armed robbery and will have to stand trial. With no fixed home, the man is considered to be homeless.
Another man has been charged with robbing a different pharmacy with a knife. This individual walked into the store, approached a member of the staff and demanded cash and drugs. All stolen cash and property were then recovered when a residence nearby was raided.
Pharmacies appear to have become the new bank when criminals are seeking to get their hands on something they “need” but do not have. Bank robbers are seeking money; pharmacy robbers are most often seeking pills in order to feed an addiction. While there is not always violence involved in a pharmacy robbery, weapons have been used to threaten and secure the goods sought.
The growing number of incidents suggests that pharmacies throughout the world adopt specific strategies for thwarting drug addicts-turned robbers. Most of these individuals didn’t set out to be criminals; they simply developed an addiction that leaves them desperate. One thing is for sure – the current pharmacy system puts people at risk.
