More than $15K worth of cigarettes stolen from Guelph stores

A cigarette butt and ashes are seen in this undated stock photo. (Basil MK/Pexels.com)

Police are investigating after thousands of dollars worth of cigarettes, cash and lottery tickets were stolen from two variety stores in Guelph.

Officers with the Guelph Police Service were called to a business near Fife Road and Elmira Road South around 3:20 a.m. Friday. The owner told them he had received an alarm notification on his phone and could see three men inside the store. Police said a large quantity of cigarettes, lottery tickets and cash were stolen.

The three suspects were all wearing masks and gloves. One wore a blue sweater and green or grey jeans. The other two were wearing all black. They left the area in a black four-door Infiniti.

Twenty minutes later, police were called to another business near Eastview Road and Watson Parkway North. The owner of that business also said an alarm had been set off and they could see people inside the store on a live feed. Approximately $15,000 worth of cigarettes and some cash were taken.

The investigation is ongoing, and police do not know if the two incidents are related.