In despair the pharmacists in Thessaloniki after the theft barrage – Objective 12 pharmacies within 2 weeks

The Pharmaceutical Association has requested a meeting with the General Police Director of Thessaloniki, Major General George Papadopoulos, after the barrage of thefts and burglaries in . According to the Thessaloniki Pharmaceutical Association, during the last two weeks serious incidents have been recorded daily in pharmacies, especially on the western side of the city, resulting in pharmacists being in despair and calling for intensified policing measures to stop these phenomena and restore the feeling of security. “The last time there has been an outbreak of theft and burglaries in pharmacies. Within just 15 days the villains have invaded at least 12 pharmacies, and have attempted to enter so many others. The perpetrators violate blinds, destroy windows and break locks causing serious damage. Their goal is the cash register of pharmacies, where they usually do not find significant amounts of money, but only a few coins, since the majority of the transactions in pharmacies are made using pos”, points out the president of the Thessaloniki Pharmaceutical Association, Dionysios Evgenidis. At the same time, he says that “we take all the measures we can to shield our pharmacies. However, it is also necessary to strengthen the patrols by the Greek police and for this reason we have requested and expected a meeting with the General Police Director of Thessaloniki within the week. Furthermore, a solution must also be found for the legislative gap that exists and concerns dealing with these criminals. Police arrest them and the next day by Justice’s decision they are released.” For his part, the secretary of the FSTH, George Kioses mentions barrages of thefts and burglaries, as “the villains believe they will find… gold in the pharmacies. In fact, however, they find 20-30 euros in coins. Colleagues do not leave cash in the register, since more than 80% of transactions are made using pos. We call for an increase in police patrols in areas with pharmacies, with emphasis on what is overnight and where the risk is greater.”