Thousands of pounds worth of whisky has been stolen from the visitor shop at a popular whisky distillery in Speyside.
Aberlour Distillery was targeted by thieves during the festive season sometime between December 22 and January 5.
The break-in has seen a number of high-value bottles from a batch that has yet to be sold stolen, with police officers believing this should make them easier to trace.
Police in Elgin are now looking to speak to anyone in the local whisky market (or beyond) who may have come across suspicious offers of bottles from this distillery.
Detective Constable Adam Stockwell of Elgin CID said: “Inquiries into the incident are ongoing and I urge anyone who has information or who reside close to the distillery and heard or saw anything suspicious between these dates to contact police immediately.
“This is a high-value theft, and we would be keen to speak to anyone involved in the local whisky selling market, as these bottles are quite unique in that no other bottles of their batch have been sold, meaning they would be easily identifiable.”
Speaking about the theft, Chivas Brothers, who own Aberlour Distillery, said: "We can confirm that an incident took place at Aberlour Distillery over the winter break, involving theft of property. We are currently working with the police to assist with their investigation."
Detective Constable Stockwell added: “Anyone with any information can contact Police on 101 or using the 'Contact Us' form on the police website. Anonymous reports can also be made to the independent charity Crimestoppers 0800 555 111."
The news follows a similar raid on Tullibardine Distillery in Perthshire, where eight bottles of whisky worth an eye-watering £10,000 were stolen.
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