The police are investigating another spike in break-ins from houses in different areas in Malta, with similar methods adopted in previous months.
Burglars were once again drilling through locks, even those generally considered to be among the more secure, rather than using bump keys, according to sources close to the investigations.
Apart from the Sliema, St Julian’s, Ibraġ, Swieqi and The Gardens areas, the police recently received reports of break-ins from residences in Rabat, Żebbuġ, Mtarfa, Qrendi and Siġġiewi.
In Siġġiewi, all apartments in one block were targeted.
Following a spike in thefts from homes in April and May, a slowdown had been reported, police sources said.
A series of reports in the media helped as it made people more aware of what was happening around them. The media attention would have also forced the robbers to lay low, the police sources said.
Thieves aiming especially for jewellery and cash, not larger items
“The spike we’ve had in recent days is not yet as bad as April and May but if people are not made aware of it, it will continue to climb,” a police officer told The Sunday Times of Malta. “We need to be proactive,” he added.
Like previous robberies, the thieves have been mostly targeting apartments rather than larger houses, aiming especially for jewellery, cash and watches. Larger items, such as televisions, gaming consoles, hi-fi systems and computers were not touched.
The police said some homeowners returned home to find someone had broken into their property but nothing was stolen because there was no jewellery or cash.
The sources said the growing incidence seems to be creating a pattern, indicating that the burglars either belong to the same gang suspected in the past or are simply using the same methods to gain entry.
Similar to the spike in April and May, the police believe the thieves could be foreigners specifically tasked with breaking into homes before fleeing the island with the loot. Sources said the police have a number of still images taken from CCTV footage during burglaries, but the investigations have not yet yielded any tangible results.
The police urged the public to team up with neighbours to remain on the lookout for anything which looks abnormal. The installation of alarms, CCTV systems and security locks could also help, they said.