ABC 12 – WJRT – Flint, MIPolice believe 3 pharmacy break-ins may be related

(02/22/12) - Police in Midland and Bay counties are looking for the thieves that broke into three pharmacies in just a couple of hours Wednesday morning.

The thieves started at the Maplewood Pharmacy on the 900 block of N. Johnson Street in Bay City around 1:30 a.m.

Workers there say the thieves were not able to break through the glass door.

Their next stop, according to the Bay County Sheriff, was the Monitor Pharmacy, located in Monitor Township.

"Started with a phone call from my alarm company, two o'clock in the morning," said Michael Bouckaert, the pharmacy's owner.

Bouckaert says once inside the thieves went straight for the pharmacy.

"They know what they're going for, which leads me to believe they've been in the business before," said John E. Miller, the Bay County sheriff.

Miller says the thieves took psuedoephedrine pills and syringes, materials used to make or abuse meth.

Psuedoephedrine was also stolen at the Great Lakes Pharmacy in Midland, which was hit a short time later.

The Bay County Sheriff is worried the pills are headed for meth labs. "They're extremely dangerous, they're explosive, give out a terrible odor, and can be very injurious especially in young people."

One pharmacist who we spoke to off-camera, believes the recent rash of break-ins is related to a change in the way psuedoephedrine pills are sold and tracked.

Previously anybody buying the behind-the-counter medication had to sign a log at the pharmacy.

As of Jan. 1 a person's I.D. is run through a computer system, according to Bouckaert. "If they try and buy that anywhere, not only in Michigan, but several other states it shows up that they have already purchased it."

And that makes it easier for police to track and stop meth abusers.

But it also may make people more determined to get their hands on psuedoephedrine.
   
"It means that there are some desperate people out there willing to do desperate things to get what they want which is very unfortunate," Bouckaert said.

A fourth pharmacy break-in happened Monday in the Auburn area. The sheriff believes it's connected to Wednesday's rash of break-ins.