Duo Wanted In Connection With String Of 9 Duane Reade Robberies

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Two men are wanted in connection to several robberies throughout Manhattan.

The string of nine robberies occurred from May 2016 through August 2016 and police believe that two same suspects are responsible.

In each case, the two men entered a Duane Reade location throughout the city and proceeded open locked display cases with a key and remove everything from Rogaine to Crest White Strips.

The most recent incident happened on Aug. 13 when the men are accused of entering a Duane Reade on East 2nd Street and removing 15 boxes of Rogaine, two boxes of over-the-counter medication and 14 boxes of Crest whitening strips.

Police say as long as some bodegas and other small stores are willing to buy the stolen goods for cents on the dollar and resell them, these crimes will continue, as reported by CBS2's Fatima Rahmatullah.

"So from time to time we are going to get these patterns that are going to come up because we have good video of these folks we put them out in the evening news. We generally have them identified by next week," Chief of Detectives Robert Boyce said.

Charles Sapone used to work at a drugstore and he says thefts have been going on like this for a long time.

"They use to take the whole feminine hygiene section and all that stuff and do the same thing," he said.

The first suspect is described as a black man, between 25 and 35 years old, around 6 feet tall with a slim build. He had his hair in cornrows and was last seen wearing a dark-colored sweater and baseball cap.

The second suspect is described as a black man, between 25 and 35 years old, around 5-foot-9 with a slim build. He was last seen wearing a white and blue plaid shirt and baseball cap.

Anyone with information in regards to this incident is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477).