Crime
Malaga police are trying to identify thieves who stole cash and numerous psychotropic drugs from local pharmacy
The owner of the pharamacy in the El Limonar district has already changed the security system
Irene Quirante
The National Police are investigating a robbery that took place in a pharmacy in Malaga's El Limonar district on the night of 8 July.
The target was the La Doctora pharmacy on Avenida Camarón de la Isla. The thieves broke in between 9pm and 7am, escaping with cash and a substantial quantity of psychotropic drugs and high-end cosmetics.
"Luckily, most customers pay by card, so the amount of cash stolen isn't as important as the damage caused," Patricia Lozano, the pharmacist in charge, told SUR.
The medication delivery driver, who had a key to access the premises, discovered the aftermath of the robbery when he went to make the morning's delivery. The pharmacy was closed, but inside he found extensive damage and immediately alerted the owner.
According to initial reports, the perpetrators managed to open the lock using what is believed to be the 'impressioning' technique: a method that allows the cylinder to be unlocked without leaving any obvious signs of forced entry.
Once inside, they managed to disable or bypass the camera system. "This won't happen to me again. I've already changed the entire security system and, of course, the company I use. Now I feel much safer going forward," Lozano said.
The thieves specifically selected a large batch of psychotropic drugs that require a prescription, such as Trankimazin or Rivotril, and numerous high-end cosmetic products that the company promoted through social media.
The National Police arrived quickly following the report. Forensic police searched for fingerprints or biological evidence. Everything suggests the perpetrators used gloves to avoid leaving traces.
According to Lozano, the private security company she had hired did not send an intrusion alert to her phone during the hours the robbery lasted.
Despite this setback, the pharmacy continued providing service and dispensing over-the-counter products, relying on little more than a notebook, a pen and a mobile phone calculator.
In less than three hours, the pharmacy managed to restore its computer connection, allowing it to resume operations and dispense prescription medications as normal. At 9pm the pharmacy closed, with the new security system fully operational.
In the pharmacist's words, the day was an example of resilience and an opportunity to improve security measures.
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