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$40,000 worth of pills stolen from Morganton pharmacy, police say

MORGANTON, N.C. — Thieves broke into the Cannon Pharmacy on Oct. 20 and stole $40,000 worth of pills, police said.

The power was cut to the building and the meter box was pulled out during the break-in, which disabled some security.

[ALSO READ: Stanly County leads state in opioid overdoses]

"It happens quite a bit at pharmacies," Morganton Department of Public Safety Lt. Gary Massey said in October. "Luckily, not here but in other areas. They get broken into just because you have drugs and people want them."

Tarp was still covering the drive-thru window Thursday where the thieves smashed their way in.

About 90% of the 115 bottles that were stolen were opioids, police said.

The owner said he has made changes to the security and there was about $10,000 worth of damage.

Some customers were not surprised by what happened because of the opioid crisis.

"It's tragic what's happening," resident Tom Lail said. "This is a small business and $40,000 in one night is a huge hit."

The owner said suboxone was one of the main medicines stolen from the pharmacy. The drug is used to treat addiction. Public safety officers believe the pills are being sold to users.

There have been no arrests in the case.

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