A suspect thief who allegedly threatened to blow up his victims if they called the police, was remanded in custody on Monday after pleading not guilty to a string of hold-ups in just over a week.

Allister Camilleri, a 39-year old unemployed Marsa resident, was arrested on Saturday-Sunday night.

Investigators said that while hooded and brandishing a knife, Mr Camilleri allegedly carried out six hold-ups. He would plant a heavy-looking box on the counter of his target establishment, claiming it contained a bomb which he would set off if anyone dared alert the police.

The string of hold-ups followed the same pattern, with investigators finding that the ‘threatening’ parcel left behind by the thief contained nothing but a stone, books or some such heavy object.

The first attempted robbery took place at Qormi on January 7. On that same day, the suspect allegedly also stole the number plates off a Mercedes vehicle parked in a field in the Tal-Ħlas area at Qormi.

Other hold-ups followed at three hotels in the Sliema, Tigne and Gzira area, as well as a convenience store at Qormi. The last hold-up took place on Thursday evening at an Iklin pharmacy.

Mr Camilleri was accused of theft, holding people against their will, making threats and driving a vehicle with false number plates.  

Assisted by a legal aid lawyer since he claimed not to have sufficient means, Mr Camilleri pleaded not guilty.

His lawyer, Benjamin Valenzia, made no request for bail but requested that all civilian witnesses be summoned as early as possible.

Mr Camilleri, sporting a tattooed Swastika and ‘Heil Hitler’ on his neck, was escorted out of the courtroom, but not before passing some vague  remarks at reporters.

Inspectors Fabian Fleri, Lydon Zammit, Colin Sheldon and Kylie Borg prosecuted.