Thieves raid pharmacy supplies

THIEVES cleaned a Bundaberg pharmacy out of cold and flu medication and are now expected to use it to clean up on Bundaberg streets when they have used it to make illegal drugs for sale.

Bundaberg Plaza Pharmacy owner John Evans is shocked at the audacity of thieves who broke in through the ceiling of the shopping centre.

The intruders used power tools to try to break into safes before making off with dozens of packets of medication.

“They would have had to spend at least an hour in here,” Mr Evans said.

Mr Evans said it appeared the thieves broke in through the Maryborough Street shopping centre's toilets and climbed 15m inside the roof to reach the store, between 1am and 6am on Saturday.

It is believed that thieves stole enough pseudoephedrine products to make about 60g of pure methamphetamine or speed.

“They took everything we had with pseudoephedrine,” Mr Evans said.

“That was their main purpose.”

Mr Evans said Valium, Viagra and anti-depressants were also taken, as well as every syringe in the store.

The thieves used angle-grinders in an effort to empty a safe and an ATM, but gave up after the task proved too difficult.

“It looks like they either ran out of power, (angle grinder) disks or time,” Mr Evans said.

Instead, the burglars cut open several charity collection boxes and also took a laptop with sensitive information on it.

Mr Evans is offering a $1000 reward for the return of the laptop.

It was the second break-in at the store in two weeks and the fourth in three years.

During their shopping centre blitz, the thieves also removed ceiling panels to break into a fruit shop next door to the pharmacy, where they stole $200 cash from two tills.

Mr Evans said he believed the two most recent pharmacy break-ins were the work of one group, but Bundaberg Police could not confirm a link.

“It is not believed to be linked to (the recent spate of break-ins at Bundaberg businesses),” Detective Acting Senior Sergeant Cameron Schneider said.

“We are investigating possible links to other break-ins.”

Scenes of crime officers visited the centre during the weekend to check for fingerprints, but Mr Evans said it appears the thieves wore gloves.

“They found a footprint by the sink,” he said.

Bundaberg Police are investigating and anyone with information should telephone Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.