Gang make off with substantial haul in overnight Drumlish raid

A small quantity of cash is also believed to have been taken during a raid at Kiernan's Centra sometime after midnight.

It's understood thieves gained access  to the premises by disabling an alarm system before making  their way inside.

The culprits are believed to have spent a considerable amount of time rummaging through the store before making off with their haul.

Detectives are carrying out enquiries both at the store and in the Drumlish area this morning in an attempt to establish clues as to the identity of those responsible.

It is the latest break-in to hit the popular north Longford retailer with a similar incident being reported earlier this year.

A source this morning confirmed that gardaí had launched an investigation and that substantial damage was caused to the building as a result.

Gardaí, however for operational reasons, are not revealing how the raiders made their way into the store.

The Leader understands detectives believe a professional burglary gang may be responsible and are not ruling out the possibility of linking last night's episode to an attempted break-in at the store less than two weeks ago.

Local Councillor and Cathaoirleach of Longford County Council, Martin Mulleady hit out at the events of last night.

"I am very disappointed considering that this is a family run business who provide great employment in the area," he said.

"I just hope the Gardaí can find the people who did this."

For more on this developing story, see next week's Longford Leader.