Police are investigating a string of robberies at pharmacies in Winnipeg and surrounding areas.
There had been a lull in pharmacy robberies since police made an arrest several months ago, said police spokesperson Natalie Aitken.
On Dec. 7, a pharmacy in the 600 block of Kildare Avenue East was robbed at about 8:30 p.m. On Dec. 12, a pharmacy in the 1600 block of Regent Avenue was robbed at about 2:45 p.m.
Two more robberies followed on Dec. 16, the first at about 3 p.m. in the 800 block of Keewatin Street and at about 6 p.m. in the 200 block of Henderson Highway.
There were two other pharmacy robberies in Stonewall and Teulon and Winnipeg police are working with the RCMP in connection with those incidents, Aitken said.
"At this time, we don't have anything concrete to say it's all the same individual," she said.
The suspect or suspects obtained a small amount of OxyContin and similar drugs in the robberies – except for the incident on Keewatin Street, where nothing was turned over, Aitken said.
In all of the cases the suspect was not seen to be carrying a weapon. However, turning over the opiates was the right thing for the pharmacists to do, Aitken said.
"We don't want resistance or anything of that nature," she said.
The suspect in each of the Winnipeg robberies is described as a white male in his early 20s.
