$1.2M Bucks Co. Drug Bust: Employees Stole Pills, Sold Them: Cops

BENSALEM, PA — Employees at a Falls Township facility that was tasked with destroying pharmaceutical medications were "covertly" stealing the pills, then selling them "in large quantities" on the the streets of Philadelphia, Bucks County, and New Jersey, according to authorities.

The investigation into the Wheelabrator Falls facility was announced Friday. Authorities said they recovered approximately 200,000 illegal pills, which included opioids. The pills have a street value of $1.2 million, Bensalem Police said.

Multiple suspects have been arrested for their role in the organization. The arrests were made after a several month joint investigation by Bensalem Police and the FBI Philadelphia Division.

The investigation revealed a vulnerability at the Wheelabrator Falls facility that allowed for the pills to be covertly stolen prior to being incinerated, police said.

According to police, the investigation started with a drug arrest of a small amount of marijuana in Bensalem. Investigators later uncovered the source of the opioids was the “special waste” facility.

"Employees of the waste facility exploited their positions to steal the pharmaceuticals and sell them to drug dealers who would then sell the pills on the street," according to Bensalem Township Police.

Bensalem Township Police publicly thanked Wheelabrator, Inc. for their cooperation in the investigation.