Masked men take just four minutes to steal whisky worth about £150,000

MASKED raiders took only four minutes to force their way into a Speyside distillery and make off with about £150,000 worth of whisky.

Burglars drilled through a lock at the Glenfarclas Distillery’s visitor centre in the early hours of Sunday, smashed open a cabinet, and made off with bottles of the valuable drink in what appears to be a targeted raid.

Callum Fraser, production manager at the distillery in Ballindalloch, Moray, urged anyone with information about the raid or CCTV in the area to contact Police Scotland.

He said: “Somebody gained entry through the door by drilling the lock. They’ve obviously been to case the place out because they knew exactly what cabinet they were going for.

“They took our family cask range from 1954 to 1975 – there’s a bottle from every year there – and a bottle of 60-year-old and then went back out of the door.”

Footage from the site has captured the white-masked gang go through the side door at about 2.45am, get what they wanted, and then leave with the six-figure haul of bottles about four minutes later.

Mr Fraser, 54, said: “The fact somebody has been in our place, it’s not a nice feeling.

“Somebody has broken in, they felt that’s what they should be doing, and it’s horrendously wrong. It makes staff feel uncomfortable.”

He added workers at the familyowned distillery are well known as being friendly and approachable, and said: “It makes us all feel slightly uncomfortable and angry, to be honest.”

Officers are now on the hunt for two men in connection with the break-in.

Detective Sergeant Graeme Skene, of CID in Aberdeen, said: “We believe the men travelled to the area and we would appeal to hoteliers, bed and breakfast establishments and Airbnb premises to get in touch if they suspect anyone of being suspicious.”