The police are intensifying investigations on a gang of four people who have targeted at least five mobile phone retail outlets over the past few weeks, with the latest burglary taking place early Tuesday morning.
On Tuesday, Times of Malta published CCTV footage of burglars donning balaclavas, baseball hats and hoodies breaking into mobile phone retail outlets in San Ġwann, Qormi and Bay Street.
In the footage, they are seen fleeing with bagfuls of mobile phones, smart watches, tablets and expensive earphones, believed to run into tens of thousands of euros.
The police have now confirmed they are investigating these three burglaries and at least another two in Mrieħel and Birkirkara.
Police sources said the footage from each of the shops indicates that the four burglars seem to be the same ones in every shop – they use the same modus operandi and carry the same plastic bags for the loot.
The footage shows the burglars forcing open the metal shutters and then ransacking the shelves, taking all they could get their hands on in a matter of minutes.
In all cases, three thieves, who seem to be male, entered the shops to clear the shelves using the torch on their mobile phones to illuminate the place. The police believe the fourth remained outside on the lookout. He could possibly be the driver of a getaway car.
The first robbery took place early in the morning of July 11 when the thieves targeted the Tablets and More outlet in Triq il-Ħammieri, Qormi.
Opened shutter, shattered glass door, ransaked shop
They first forced open the shutter, shattered the glass door and then proceeded to ransack the shop. The police were informed about the robbery at 12.45am.
Three days later, on July 14, at 1.30am, three robbers and a fourth person were filmed lifting the heavy metal shutter, forcefully entering the outlet Telecom in the busy Vjal ir-Riħan, in San Ġwann.
On July 20, a lone burglar broke into Forestals on the Mrieħel bypass from where he stole mobile devices. Other technological supplies in the large shop remained untouched. The burglar only targeted the cabinet containing mobile phones.
The police sources said although the robber entered the shop alone, it was not being excluded that he was part of the same gang.
The burglar, wearing a baseball hat and a hoodie, arrived at the shop on foot, according to CCTV footage obtained by the police.
Early on Monday morning, the four targeted the Exotique outlet at Bay Street in St Julian’s. They forced open the metal shutter, smashed glass showcases and filled plastic bags with mobile devices, worth thousands of euros.
Chased by security, but fled
They did not steal the cash register nor any other expensive items in the shop, probably since they were caught red-handed by the complex security officer, forcing them to flee. The officer gave chase but the thieves dispersed.
The theft took place at around 3.45am and they made away with mobile phone, tablets, digital cameras and expensive Apple smart watches.
What is believed to be the same gang struck again just 24 hours later when the police were informed at 3.30am that a Phone Refix outlet in Birkirkara had its shutter open. When the police arrived on the scene, they found smashed glass on the ground and several mobile phones, tablets and smart watches missing from the smashed cabinets.
CCTV footage from inside the shop confirmed that there were four burglars filling plastic bags with all they could fit inside them.
A spokesperson for the police said that magisterial inquiries have been appointed in all cases, with court experts and scene of crime officers preserving as much evidence as they can from the shops.
Police investigations are ongoing.