Drugstores targeted by thieves
About 20 pharmacies across Attica have been targeted by thieves in the last few months in what authorities believe are well-organized operations that export drugs from Greece or sell them over the Internet. The president of the Pharmaceutical Association of Attica (FSA), Constantinos Lourantos, said the break-ins of the last four months were carried out by thieves who target high-cost medicines. Authorities said that the thieves appear to be well acquainted with the pharmacies and that they ignore addictive narcotic substances, instead showing a preference for high-cost medicines such as those used for heart problems, cancer treatment and cholesterol. The haul from each break-in has been valued at between 25,000-100,000 euros. The drugs targeted are often medicines where shortages are recorded in Greece and which could be sold in other countries at prices about 70 percent higher than local ones. Lourantos added that the government does not impose any checks on the source of medicines that are exported from Greece.
