The suspect arrested for a string of area drugstore armed robberies has made his first court appearance in Airdrie Provincial Court and remains in custody.

Dustin Robinson, 34, of Calgary and formerly Sarnia, ON,  has been charged with four counts of armed robbery and four counts of disguise with intent in connection with holdups at four pharmacies at knifepoint earlier this month. He's also wanted in connection with 14 similar pharmacy armed robberies in Ontario and faces 24 criminal charges there.

Following a series of warranted seaches conducted Apr. 13 and 14, an abundance of the prescription narcotics taken were recovered as well as clothes and items used by the suspect for the robberies.

He is accused of robbing pharmacies in Bragg Creek, Black Diamond, Crossfield and Airdrie.

A red flag went up when the MO matched those of 14 similar cases in Ontario, explains RCMP spokesman Cpl. Curtis Peters. This lead to an inter-provincial investigating lead by the RCMP Serious Crimes Branch and involving the Calgary Police, Windsor Police and the Ontario Provincial Police. 

"When we began to compare the evidence we were able to figure out it was in fact the same guy. Some of the same clothing was worn in robberies in Ontario and some robberies here so it became obvious that it was the same person."

Securing narcotics was the aim of the bandit. In each case, the knife-bearing man entered the area where the narcotics were kept, then stole prescription medication, including opiates.

While no one was hurt in the robberies, the very threat of being robbed at knifepoint is a tramautic experience, says Cpl. Curtis Peters, of the RCMP media relations.

"No one was physically hurt in any of these instances but when an individual armed with a knife comes into a pharmacy and demands narcotics it's very traumatizing for the people that were in there," says Peters "They're still suffering some of the effects of that. It's a pretty scary experience, so although no one was physically injured it's not a victimiless crime."

Excluding Airdrie, the other three pharmacies robbed were in smaller centre. Peters doesn't speculate as to the rationale used by the Calgary man to select his targets.

"I'm not too sure what his motives were for picking the pharmacies that he did, but it does seem there was a smaller town sort of feel to them."