Police investigating a number of reports of shoplifting in Armagh and Enniskillen have appealed for information and witnesses.
Inspector Tate said: “It was reported on Friday, December 1st, 2023 that clothing, with a total value of more than £1200 was missing from retail premises in the Moy Road area.
“CCTV shows two men entering the store separately around 8.35pm the previous evening, Thursday, November 30th, before placing items into a bag and leaving.
“One of the men is described as being approximately 5′ 11” and of stocky build, with a beard. He was described as wearing a black baseball cap, grey jacket, dark jogging bottoms and grey trainers. It is believed that he has a distinctive scar on his left cheek.
“The second man is described as being approximately 5′ 11”, of slim build and wearing a black and yellow bobble hat, a dark-coloured ‘work’ jacket and trousers, both of which were stained with white paint, and dark-coloured work boots.
“This follows a previous report shortly before 5.40pm on Sunday, November 26th that a man had entered the same retail premises and placed items of clothing into a bag before leaving. He was described as wearing a flat cap, black jacket and navy jeans.
“It was also reported to police around 4.20pm on Thursday, November 26th that one man out of a group of males in different retail premises in the Moy Road area had been seen filling a bag with items from the store. The reported value of these items is almost £1000.
“It was also reported to police on Wednesday, November 29th that around £1100 worth of clothing was stolen from retail premises in the Quay Pass area of Enniskillen.
“Two men were reported to have entered the store separately around 2pm. One of them placed a number of items into a bag before both left in different directions.
“The first man was described as being of medium build and aged around 30-40 years old while the second was described as being of heavy build. Both men were reported to be wearing peaked caps.
“Our enquiries are ongoing and I would appeal to anyone who may be able to assist to contact us on 101, quoting reference 510 of 01/12/23. At this time, we are investigating a potential link between these reports.”
As part of Operation Season’s Greetings, there are already increased patrols in keys areas in an effort to prevent crime and reassure both shoppers and business owners.
Chief Superintendent Darrin Jones, Business crime lead for PSNI said: “We know that this is a key time of year for retailers and as a Police Service, we want to reassure businesses that we remain committed to tackling business crime and developing our established partnerships with organisations such as Retail NI, Retailers Against Crime and the Federation of Small Businesses, Northern Ireland Retail Consortium, Belfast City Centre Management and others to ensure Northern Ireland remains a safe place to do business.
“Working together, we can reduce business crime and we’re asking everyone to play their part. If you’re in a shop or in business premises, and you see something suspicious, report it to us.
“That piece of information can help us apprehend criminals, bring them before the Court and return stock to retailers where we can.”
To read more.. Subscribe to current edition
Receive quality journalism wherever you are, on any device. Keep up to date from the comfort of your own home with a digital subscription.
Any time | Any place | Anywhere