A fifth person was on Thursday jailed for two-and-a-half years over a series of snatch-and-grabs, the police said in a statement.

The man allegedly forms part of an organised crime group.

In June, four Italian men were charged with theft of jewellery from entertainment clubs in Żebbuġ, Ta' Qali and St Julian's.

Aged 16, 18, 21 and 24, they were arrested following reports of 'snatch and grab' thefts. It transpired the men would go to crowded places and snatch necklaces from around the necks of people who take to the dancefloor.

On Thursday the police said this fifth man - a 24-year-old Italian national - had managed to flee the island when the other four were charged in court.

He was arrested in Italy on the strength of a European Arrest Warrant and in collaboration with Italian police.

He was found in possession of the stolen jeweller.

Magistrate Joseph Gatt presided over the case. 

Sign up to our free newsletters

Get the best updates straight to your inbox:
Please select at least one mailing list.

You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By subscribing, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing.