Teenagers steal bank cards

Two 17-year-olds were found guilty in separate cases of stealing bank cards and using them to withdraw money.

In the first case, a Venezuelan girl studying English in Malta admitted to stealing her flatmate's credit card, withdrawing €636 in cash and paying for a Ryanair flight.

She was conditionally discharged for a year and flew back home yesterday after the court took into consideration the fact that she had repaid her flatmate.

In the second case, a Maltese teenager from Gżira found a debit card and PIN number inside one of the letter boxes of the block of flats where he lives. He took the card and used it to withdraw almost €2,450 in cash between May 29 and June 1 from several cash machines.

Magistrate Michael Mallia handed down a six-month jail term suspended for two years after taking into consideration the fact that he had cooperated with the police but had not repaid his neighbour.

The two are not being named because of their age.

Police inspectors Jesmond Micallef and Trevor Micallef prosecuted.