Pharmaceuticals worth $600,000 stolen from warehouse

[Abrad]

www2.townonline.com
The Mansfield Police Detective Division, the State Police, crime scene specialists with the FBI and agents with the U.S. Drug Enforcement are investigating a break-in at AmerisourceBergen, a pharmaceutical distribution warehouse on 101 Norfolk Street in the Cabot Industrial Park.
The theft occurred over the weekend and was discovered by police on Sunday night.
Michael Kilpatric, a spokesperson for AmerisourceBergen, said less than $500,000 worth of pharmaceuticals were stolen. Detective Sgt. Samuel F. Thompson Jr. said that number was the company cost, but the street value could be over $10 million dollars.

"I cannot comment on the specific types of drugs, but there were some painkillers and anti-anxiety pills stolen," Thompson said.
Thompson said they did not have any suspects at the same time, but they are pursuing some leads.
"We are in the preliminary interviewing phase," Thompson said.
The thieves are believed to be professional. They were able to dismantle the security system, disable the security cameras and cut a hole in the roof to get in, according to Thompson.
"They definitely knew what they were doing," Thompson said.
Kilpatric said the company is taking steps to make sure the security system is improved. He said he could not specify what types of measures they are taking.
"We will be looking at steps to improve our security," Kilpatric said.
This is the first time a theft like this has happened at the Mansfield location. Kilpatric said it does not happen often.
"This is the first time it has happened in Mansfield. It is a rare occurrence nationally," Kilpatric said.
A branch of the company in Grand Prarie, Texas was robbed in 2003. Some 1,600 Viagra tablets stolen during that theft were resold about a week later to a government confidential informant.
AmerisourceBergen’s headquarters are in Chesterbrook, Pennsylvania. Revenues for fiscal 2005 were $50 billion dollars for the company. It is the leading pharmaceutical distributing company in the United States.

[Beeker]

I love how they added the street value almost like it was instinct.

[Forthesevenlakes]

The conspiracy theorist in me wants to say this is actually the government's doing in order to raise CIA money for some insurgency or assasination. I'm trying to shut the theorist's mouth but he keeps yelling about pharmaceuticals being "the new crack".

[old hippie 56]

That 10 mil street value is at the local drugstore, swim went and picked up his provigil. Near about fell out over the price. Around 7 bucks a piece for 200 mg. Your theorist is right about being the new crack, not as bad stigma taking a pill rather than hitting a crack pipe.
They need the money to rebuild the republicans war chest. lol

[Riconoen {UGC}]

Damn, and I thought meth was the new crack.

[Alfa]

I do not know about this specific situation, but underground sales are an important part of many pharmaceutical companies revenue.
It would be interesting to study the ways of Pfizer in this regard. Their pre-launch marketing campaign was excellent. In a few weeks the whole world knew about Viagra. In the past bizarre amounts of Viagra have been 'stolen'. Complete warehouses full of Viagra have been emptied in one night.

Think about that for a minute. Think about what that means.

So 'stolen' Viagra hits the street and is sold in those countries where legal Viagra can not be sold in sexshops. Now Pfizer invests a *lot* in lobbying and government relations. Miraculously these government hit fake viagra sales and herbal alternatives very hard, while leaving the illegal Viagra sales virtually untouched.

Now consider the way many pharmaceutical companies are dependant upon the underground market of their products.

If anyone is interested in researching this a bit and writing an article: such an article would be most interesting to read.

[izzy31]

$600,000??? I'm not even against it. That's impressive. You've gotta give'em that much.