Detectives investigating Saturday's robbery of the Johnsonville Medical Centre Pharmacy say the agitated offender ignored methadone and cash in favour of morphine tablets valued at $30.
Acting Detective Sergeant Andrew Compton said the pharmacy staff were surprised when the strawberry blond or ginger haired robber burst in through the Trafalgar Street side door entrance at 12.20pm on Saturday, just as the pharmacy was about to close.
The offender, a male European aged 25 to 35 years, was about 175cm tall and of average build. He was wearing camouflage style pants and a black hooded sweat shirt.
Detective Sergeant Compton said the man was quite violent in his threats to pharmacy staff and threatened them with a large knife. He was quite insistent in that he wanted the morphine and not methadone or cash.
"His actions appeared to be that of someone desperate to get their next drug fix."
He was given a small quantity of morphine based tablets valued at $30 and fled back out through the Trafalgar Street door. He is believed to have left the area in a black 4 WD vehicle - make and model unknown but it had an uncovered spare wheel mounted on the back door of the vehicle.
"There were quite a few people in the Countdown and Mobil Service Station part of the shopping centre who may seen the black 4WD driving erratically away from the scene," Detective Sergeant Compton said. "We're really interested to talk with these people, pedestrians who may have had to quickly get out of the way and from others who saw something suspicious."
People with information about the robbery, ownership of the black vehicle, people who have access to black 4WD vehicles or who know who the offender is are asked to contact Wellington CIB on 0800 TIPOFF or 04 496 3444.
Ends
released by Kaye Calder
Wellington Police District communications manager
tel 04 496 3464