WASHINGTON (AP) -- Sen. Charles Schumer and five fellow Democratic senators have introduced a bill that would increase the penalties for stealing prescription drugs and give police extra tools, including wiretaps, to track thieves.

Drug thefts have increased 350 percent since 2007. Last March, the theft of $75 million worth of Eli Lilly drugs from a Connecticut warehouse drew new attention to the problem.

Along with stiffer penalties, the bill would formally criminalize the acts of storing, transporting or changing labels on stolen medical products.

Schumer says the integrity of our medical system is compromised when criminals get their hands on these drugs, because stolen drugs often make it back into pharmacies and hospitals.

Widely abused drugs like morphine and codeine are peddled on the street, but more specialized prescription drugs are often repackaged and sold back to medical suppliers. When the drugs are not stored properly they can prove fatal.

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