Text message strengthens pickpocket ring suspicions

A Bulgarian pickpocket forming part of a suspected gang sent a text message back home warning potential colleagues there “isn’t much money in Malta” and had only made €2,000.

The SMS strengthened the police’s suspicions that they were dealing with a gang that sent thieves to Malta for a criminal working holiday of sorts, Police Inspector James Grech, prosecuting, said in court yesterday.

He was speaking at the arraignment of Elena Nikolova, 33, and Yordanka Vasileva, 25, who admitted to being pickpockets, taking the same path as two co-nationals just days earlier.

They pleaded guilty to stealing over €2,600 on six occasions between August 6 and 12 from Victoria and Valletta and to attempting a seventh theft.

Ms Nikolova and Ms Vasileva arrived with no luggage and no place to stay, so their intention was clearly theft, the prosecuting officer said, pointing out that all of their victims were elderly people.

Shortly after admitting their charges, Magistrate Giovanni Grixti jailed the duo for seven months.

Only last Thursday, Parashkeva Varbanova, 22, admitted to stealing wallets and using bank cards to withdraw €2,200. She sobbed continuously throughout her arraignment and even showed Magistrate Doreen Clarke a photo of her son. However, Inspector Grech, who had also prosecuted, said the Maltese had become victims of Romanians and Bulgarians who visited the island for a week with the purpose of committing crime.

She was jailed for five months.

Her partner in crime, Elenka Taneva, 28, was also jailed for five months on Friday two weeks after admitting to similar charges.

Ms Nikolova and Ms Vasileva, were represented by lawyers Robert Galea and Shazoo Ghaznavi.