Heist nets $75 million in Eli Lilly drugs

ENFIELD, Conn. (WISH) - At Eli Lilly and Company, security is tight and its presence is known on the corporate campus in Indianapolis.

But an overnight drug heist at an east coast distribution center has investigators trying to figure out who's behind the bold theft.

"It was a very brazen, well-planned crime. It appears as though the criminals broke in through the roof, rappelled down through the roof, disarmed the alarm and then proceeded to steal several dozen pallets of pharmaceutical products which were loaded onto a truck, then taken," said Ed Sagabiel, Eli Lilly & Company.

Lilly's Enfield, Connecticut distribution site is located in an industrial park about halfway between Hartford, Connecticut and Springfield, Massachusetts. Up to $75 million in pharmaceutical products were stolen.

"I would just say pharmaceutical product that's somewhat across our portfolio but it's important to note that there were no controlled substances or narcotics at that facility and none were taken," said Sagabiel.

Lilly has three distribution sites: the Enfield location for the east coast. One in Plainfield, Indiana to handle midwest orders and another site in Fresno, California which takes care of the west coast.

Operations in Connecticut are halted, until the security system is repaired and an investigation is completed.

In the meantime, orders that need to be sent to east coast distributers will be handled by its Plainfield center.

Lilly has a security team on the ground working with Connecticut police and the FBI.

24-Hour News 8 spoke with the Chief of Police in Enfield. He said there is surveillance video but could not release it or comment on it during the investigation.