Mark Megahan
When Scottish police came around to investigate the recent burglary at Glenturret Distillery near Crieff, Perthshire, they couldn’t help a feeling of déjà vu. They haven’t had one of these in a while but there were two back-to-back a couple years ago. Well planned and highly sophisticated thefts which authorities blame on foreign professionals.
Third distillery heist
Police have a sneaking suspicion that the heist of “several ‘high-value‘ bottles of whisky” from Glenturret Distillery on Saturday, April 12, was related two a pair of similar raids.
Officers got the report of a break-in at approximately 4:45 a.m. It’s clear that the thieves knew what they were looking for.
“Among the stolen items was The Glenturret 25 Years Old, which retails for £1,400 ($1,750), and a bottle of Still Life Spring by Lalique.”
Tourists were disappointed to learn that the distillery had to close temporarily due to “unforeseen circumstances” following the incident.
“We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and thank you for your understanding and continued support,” the distillery explained.
“If you had a visit or experience planned for today, our team will be in touch to assist.” They’ll make it up to you and appreciate your patience.
Follows the pattern
It’s clear to local police that with “two similar high-value whisky thefts in 2022,” a “concerning pattern in the Scottish whisky industry” is emerging. The first high profile burglary happened in January 2022.
That’s when “Glenfarclas distillery near Ballindalloch suffered a break-in where whisky worth approximately £150,000 was stolen, including a rare 60-year-old malt.”
It was clear to the management that the thieves “obviously knew exactly what they were looking for and completed the theft in just four minutes.”
Nearly a year later, “Aberlour Distillery reported a break-in at its visitor shop between December 22 and January 5.” That was “a high-value theft of bottles from an unreleased batch.”
Two men were later arrested in West Yorkshire but they probably weren’t the thieves. “Whisky worth an estimated £70,000 was found in a lorry near Bradford” following a traffic stop where the driver tried to flee.
“The lorry, believed to be using cloned registration plates, was carrying Johnny Cree whisky bottles.” Rare and limited-edition unicorn whiskies make every well established distillery a prime target.
