Police looking for thieves who stole weight loss drugs from pharmacies in Dearborn, Dearborn Heights

WXYZ, TELEGRAPH PHARMACY, OZEMPIC, CNN

By Tiarra Braddock

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    DEARBORN, Michigan (WXYZ) — Dearborn Police say thieves went inside Telegraph Pharmacy and stole thousands of dollars of weight loss drugs.

Surveillance video taken from outside of Telegraph Pharmacy early Saturday morning shows the thieves breaking into the store. You can see at least four people go inside of the pharmacy and, moments later, you see them running out with boxes.

“There has been a rash of break-ins into pharmacies,” said Lieutenant Mike York of Dearborn Police.

Dearborn Police say the thieves got away with $15,000 of weight loss drugs and it appears they were targeting the Ozempic medication.

Lt. Mike York says they were able to catch one of the suspects because he was wearing a GPS tether.

“It was confirmed by watching the surveillance video that the subject was wearing a tether. So our detective bureau found out tether locations in the area and we were able to track the suspect down,” said York.

The other suspects in the robbery haven’t been caught yet and they are also on Dearborn Heights police’s radar.

“We had a group of individuals who thought they had a softer target in a pharmacy over in Dearborn Heights,” said Paul Vanderplow, Director of Dearborn Heights Police.

Paul Vanderplow with Dearborn Heights Police says the same group that broke into the pharmacy in Dearborn also attempted to steal weight loss drugs from Superior Care Pharmacy in Dearborn Heights but was unsuccessful.

“Why do you think thieves are targeting pharmacies to get Ozempic or weight loss drugs?” Tiarra Braddock asked.

“It comes down to supply and demand. People are utilizing this drug to stay healthy, to get fit… and it’s become a high demand item and we … you have high demand and low supply, you have ingredients for a black or grey market,” said Vanderplow.

I spoke with Dr. Blake Movitz, a bariatric surgeon from DMC Huron Valley-Sinai Hospital about people taking weight loss drugs that come from the black market.

“Some of the side effects can be GI side effects, nausea, vomiting, heartburn, acid reflux, constipation, diarrhea,” said Dr. Movitz.

Dr. Movitz says you need to consult with your doctor before trying that medication.

“There are important risks of these medications and these things should be discussed,” Dr. Movitz added.

Meanwhile, police say pharmacies should be on high alert as these thieves are still out there.

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