The police say they have increased surveillance after a spate of thefts from private residents were caught on camera last week. 

A police spokesperson confirmed that five reports of thefts were received between February 22 and 28 in Swieqi, Mosta, San Ġwann, Naxxar, and Mellieħa.

CCTV images sent to Times of Malta from two of the robberies show a man with a torch in a bedroom in one home on February 23 and a group walking through a corridor on February 26. 

Following these incidents, a police spokesperson said they have increased their presence across all localities, not just the affected areas.

It includes patrols by the District Police, Community Police Teams, and the Rapid Intervention Unit, "ensuring high visibility to provide reassurance and peace of mind to residents," the spokesperson added.

Two of the alleged thieves caught on CCTV camera.

The thefts were first flagged by lawyer Kris Borg, who took to Facebook to warn of a “large number of robberies from private houses over the past week.”

He added that they typically break in while residents are still in the house, to avoid triggering the alarm.

Borg suggested that the thefts were the work of a “professional gang”.

However, police could not confirm whether the robberies are linked as “investigations are actively ongoing for all cases".

Europol released a report last year that said that Malta is among the five countries most affected by organised criminal gangs that carry out thefts and burglaries.

The gangs are largely made up of Croatians, Georgians, Italians and Romanians and are mafia-like in operation, the agency said.

Back in the summer of 2018, there was a spate of thefts from private residences which a criminal organisation carried out. Three Georgians have been charged with these crimes.