Raids on drug smuggling rings induce a rise in pharmacy robberies.
LAST YEAR in Finland, 23 pharmacy robberies and over 70 pharmacy burglaries were recorded. The numbers signal a considerable increase in robberies, especially in comparison to the handful recorded annually last decade. Pharmacy burglaries, however, remained close to previous years’ numbers.
According to the Association of Finnish Pharmacies, the incidence of pharmacy robberies and burglaries is linked to the amount and quality of drugs available on the streets. When police or customs foil attempts to smuggle large batches of drugs into the country, pharmacy robberies and burglaries increase, explains Erkki Kostiainen, the director of communications at the Association. “People with substance addictions try to get what they want, one way or the other.”
The perpetrator is typically a 20-30-year-old marginalised drug-addicted man, who is often also officially retired, characterises Jari Leskinen, a senior researcher at the National Bureau of Investigation. The drugs – usually analgesics, sedatives, sleeping tablets and drugs that affect the central nervous system – are stolen primarily for personal use, street trade or clearing drug debts.
Pharmacies beef up security
The plunders, however, remain small as pharmacies have introduced security systems for controlled drugs and keep low inventories of the drugs sought by addicts. Over the past ten years, pharmacists have also beefed up security by investing in surveillance systems and security personnel.
HANNU TURUNEN – STT
LEHTIKUVA / KIMMO MÄNTYLÄ
