KEY POINTS:
A burglar who stole drugs from a suburban Dunedin pharmacy on Monday morning crawled under the building and drilled a hole through the floor to get in, police say.
Senior Sergeant Steve Aitken, of Dunedin, said it appeared the burglar had entered the Balmac Pharmacy about 2am by drilling a small hole in the floor.
Multiple alarms were set off when the offender entered the shop.
The Helensburgh Rd pharmacy's "usual" entrances were well secured but when police arrived the intruder had escaped through the hole, Snr Sgt Aitken said.
A "quantity" of drugs was stolen during the burglary, he said.
Balmac Pharmacy owner Ian Waters said, when contacted, Monday's burglary was an inconvenience, "but at least no people were harmed".
It was not the first time the pharmacy had been targeted by people seeking drugs. Three staff at the pharmacy were held up at knife-point in 2006 before a man made off with drugs and cash. And a man, claiming to be armed, entered the shop and demanded drugs from the assistant in August 2004 before running away empty-handed.
Mr Waters did not feel the pharmacy was targeted more than any other.
After the latest incident, he had reviewed security of the basement, through which the offender gained entry, and installed more alarm sensors.
The drugs taken might be used to bring someone down off a methamphetamine high, rather than for the production of methamphetamine, he said.
No arrests have been made.
- OTAGO DAILY TIMES
