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A routine medication drop-off turned violent outside a suburban pharmacy, highlighting growing concerns around the black-market value of popular prescription treatments.
Police say the incident was planned and unfolded in minutes.
Delivery ambush
Authorities in Bensalem, Pennsylvania, say three suspects attacked a delivery driver as he arrived at Smart Choice Pharmacy on Thursday, January 15.
Investigators allege the driver was assaulted while unloading medication and that two boxes were stolen during the confrontation. The delivery was part of a scheduled drop-off for the pharmacy.
Police later confirmed the stolen shipment contained GLP-1 weight-loss drugs, reports People.
High-value target
The boxes reportedly included medications such as Mounjaro, Ozempic and Trulicity. Police estimated the total value of the drugs at around $16,000.
After the robbery, the suspects fled the scene in a gold-colored Toyota. Officers said the vehicle nearly struck a nearby witness who was trying to record the incident.
A description of the car was quickly shared with surrounding law enforcement agencies.
Arrests made
Bensalem Township Police stopped the Toyota roughly two miles from the pharmacy. The delivery driver later identified the three occupants as the suspects, investigators said.
Police identified the group as 41-year-old Joshua Dupree of Tamaqua, Pennsylvania, 21-year-old Jahnoi Dawkins of Albany, New York, and a 17-year-old boy from New York City.
Investigators believe the robbery was premeditated. Police said the suspects had traveled about 80 miles from New York City and that pharmacy staff had received “suspicious phone calls and emails” in the days before the delivery asking about the order.
Community response
Bensalem Public Safety Director Bill McVey said the driver was thrown to the ground during the attack. “Thank God the person is okay,” he told 6ABC Philadelphia.
The three suspects now face charges including robbery, theft, receiving stolen property and simple assault.
Speaking to CBS Philadelphia and 6ABC, pharmacist Jigar Patel said nothing beforehand raised concerns. “Thank God no gunshots or anything like that were involved,” he told 6ABC, adding that he hoped it would never happen again.
Rising demand
GLP-1 weight loss drugs can cost more than $1,000 a month without insurance coverage. “Not everyone can get their hands on it,” Patel told CBS Philadelphia. “These are $1,000 drugs.”
McVey said the stolen medication was returned and that the pharmacy has changed its delivery procedures. He urged businesses to alert police if callers ask about delivery schedules, warning that such products “have value to some people, and criminals will find it.”
Sources: People, Bensalem Township Police, CBS Philadelphia, 6ABC
