Reward offered after £80,000 theft

Argento owner Peter Boyle was devastated when he found out parcels containing merchandise ordered for the festive season had disappeared from a warehouse at Moyraverty West Road at the weekend.

The theft is believed to have happened sometime overnight between Saturday and Sunday.

Argento has 22 shops across Northern Ireland including two stores in Rushmere and Portadown. The Christmas stock was due to be delivered this week.

Mr Boyle is offering a £15,000 reward for anyone who produces information that leads to the recovery of the missing stock.

“It’s a massive blow for us in the run up to Christmas,” he said.

“They took the four packets of our Christmas stock. It has quite a large value.”

He said they do not currently have many leads and decided to offer a reward to help them recover it.

“We are offering a £15,000 reward for information that leads to the recovery of the stock,” he said.

“Anyone with information should contact Argento.”

Mr Boyle said the firm has suffered thefts before, but nothing on this scale.

In an interview with the Belfast Telegraph in August Mr Boyle said the previous 12 months had been the busiest in the company’s 17-year history.

The PSNI echoed the appeal for information following the burglary in the Moyraverty West Road area of Craigavon, sometime between 10pm on Saturday and 7.45am on Sunday.

“An amount of jewellery was taken in the burglary,” said Inspector Ken Annett.

“I would ask anyone who knows anything about it to contact Lurgan Police Station on the non-emergency number 101,” he added.

If someone prefers to remain anonymous, they can contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.