A gang of robbers stole medicines worth Rs 6 lakh and Rs 2 lakh in cash from a drug de-addiction centre on the Samrala-Machhiwara road after holding its caretaker captive on the intervening night of Thursday and Friday.
The robbers also took away the recording system of the CCTV cameras before fleeing.
Dr Rajesh Kapoor, who runs the Navkiran De-Addiction Centre, said the caretaker of the centre, Pintoo, telephoned him in the wee hours of Friday, informing him about the robbery. He rushed to the spot immediately and alerted the police.
Pintoo told the police that the robbers barged into the centre around 2am and overpowered him. After restraining him, they stole 19,000 tablets worth Rs 6 lakh and Rs 2 lakh in cash.
Dr Kapoor said the medicine was only available at government hospitals and government approved de-addiction centres, and could be misused by the robbers.
Inspector Rao Varinder Singh, SHO at Machhiwara police station, said they had lodged a case of robbery and started investigation to arrest the accused.