Updated: Hold-up at Maltapost branch in Birkirkara
A search is currently underway for a man who held up the Maltapost Birkirkara Branch in Valley Road at around 12.45 p.m.
The search is being conducted by the police Mobile Squad and the Special Assignment Group.
It is understood that the man, who was wearing a white cap, was armed with a revolver but he was not hooded. He was wearing sunglasses and made off with a sum of money.
Two female Maltapost employees are currently being treated for shock.
45 Comments
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george lewis
Sep 4th 2010, 21:23
Meta tisma kull ma qed isir madwarna ma tistaqsix "quo vadis Malta" fejn sejra Malta,imma fejn mort Malta U tkompli"u fejn se jibqghu jehduk dawk li taparsi qed imexxuk?
gcForte
Sep 3rd 2010, 10:22
@ Neil Dent..........How right you are by saying that although I watch all TV stations news, I disregard them. I always compare these stations, like Heaven, Hell and Purgatory ( although it has been dismantled ( I wonder where they have put my grand dad ). If you watch ONE tv.news at 19.30, it is like the end of the world, everything going from bad to worst. Then at 19.45 you switch to NET tv ......and its` like having a pair of wings and you are living in Heaven, everything smooth, no problems. At 20.00 we pay a visit to the PBS tv news, were all of a sudden you realize that you are in the middle of nowhere....the Purgatory.
gcForte
Sep 3rd 2010, 09:59
@SXuereb..............I compare the situation of a country,like running a family, but on a bigger scale. I believe that I am totally responsible for what has ,is ,and will happen in my family. The way I look at it is that the government ( who ever who will be ) are totally responsible of the way his citizens live. The more the government will be capable to keep stability in his country, by create enough GOOD jobs( not P.T and seasonal jobs) respect the opposition, the NGO`s the citizens and the rest, and not treat them as has been treated recently on many occasions. I will just mention two " The Gonzi/Piano project and the power station ". If you follow all my comments although I am labourite, I find no problem to criticize the party that I support. My last criticize was,that I do not agree with the party, when saying that if someday,the P.L. will govern, those responsible of the agreement of BWSC will pay the dues if found guilty by the E.U. an amount more than 6 millions euros. Not because I do not want it to happen, but it is an impossible dream.
simon cutajar
Sep 3rd 2010, 07:58
I would like to make a point not abot this case but please Malta post officials , can you open another branch in Qormi , it's a big place and allways crowded , everyday and fix more CCTV cameras please , for the safety of the staff and clients
Paul Grech
Sep 3rd 2010, 07:02
@ Jesmond Abela - xinti tghid? Tista tghid li trid taht gvern PN? U tghid li ma tibzax ukoll? Mintix tara x'qed jigrilhom dawk li qed iduru kontra il PN jew ma jaqblux maghhom!
M Muscat
Sep 2nd 2010, 23:32
X`acc aw al poter!
Xinjoranza aw grazza!
Semili xjista jamel L-Gvern mela bix iwaqaf il kriminalita? X'jista jamel? Kull tifel u tifla li jitwildu irabijom hu go familja kif suppost? Ax tara l history ta daw kolla, kolla kemm huma exu hajja ta zibel. u flahar mil ahar imsiken daw!
Imma jehel l gvern! Habtu? Lgvern. Weggajt? L Gvern! Zaqqek tugak? LGvern! Qelbitilek l mara? L Gvern!
Geez GROW UP!
Joseph Calleja
Sep 2nd 2010, 22:50
Now that Maltapost has become a private entity, it seems that its primary target is to make profit. Its really astonishing how Maltapost does not provide security guards in its branches where large amounts of money are handled every day for the payment of a multitude of bills that does not have to do in anyway with Maltapost itself, such as electricity bills, cable bills, VAT, telephone bills....etc. Many offices are only manned with a single person, making it an easier target for robbers. What kind of health and safety is the company offering to its employees?? I urge the heads of Maltapost and the Unions concerned to take this situation very seriously before other crimes, which may be more serious, are committed.
Bill Khan
Sep 2nd 2010, 22:20
Hold up in Birkikara, another in paola witnessed by a six year old boy and the mayor of Sliema Bribery scandal are just few of the items of news. Well not very long ago Malta was a peaceful sane place. What has happened to it??
And what exactly is the function of the government ? Just to raise the taxes?
As long there is un-employment and the inequity of distribution of wealth the problems will not reduce but multiply. And in the end it all comes down to the government. A government without poltical vision and social responsibility may win repeated elections but will let its citizens down badly.
As i said malta was a much peaceful place. If it is not the govermnments inedequacy , then who can we blame it on?
A.Zahra
Sep 3rd 2010, 13:20
You really want to what happened to Malta , we joined the E.U ! The best excuse the authorities ever had . No one is to blame here we just have to appear as if we stick to the guidlines and standards they set ,and we are fine .
Peter Korsten
Sep 3rd 2010, 19:21
@Bill Kahn: Well, yesterday, a 16-year old criminal was shot and killed in Amsterdam (where I used to live before I moved to Malta). In fact, in the last months that I lived there, at one point the shopping mall was partially closed off because a well-known criminal had been shot in the head, and his bodyguard fired his Uzi at the killer between all the shoppers, hitting an old man in the leg. Then there was a whole slew of assassinations and attempts (including in places where I used to walk), which have died down (excuse the pun) now, possibly because there aren't that many criminals left. My estimate is that Malta is, by and large, still a very peaceful country, which is why when there actually is a major crime, it stands out so much more. @A Zahra: What a complete and utter load of nonsense. Why don't you blame the EU as well for the forest fires in Russia? Surely you must be able to find a link.
Jesmond Abela
Sep 2nd 2010, 21:29
Sur Deo Catania - fejn qrajta din li il kriminalita hija tort tal Gvern tal Gurnata. Mhux ahjar tkun aktar kredibli bl argumenti . Kiku ktibt li linvest jigi bis sahha tal gvern nifima pero KRIMINALITA!!!!! Jekk qied temmen li taht gvern socjalista mhux ser ikun hawn serq u qtil allura niqaf hawn.
BTW - taht gvern nazzjonalista ghandek ghalfejn isserrah mohhok , anzi serrah mohhok ghal kollox sihbi, tista taqra il gazzetta li trid fejn trid, meta trid u kif trid. U tist tghid li trid tibzax Sahha.
Claire Busuttil
Sep 2nd 2010, 20:34
Maltapost branches ghandhom ikollom security maghhom jew pulizija.....ma jistax ikun li dawn l impjegati, imorru ghax xoghol, kuljum, b cans li jigi misruqa/imwegga/ jew ghar......r responsabilta hija tal kumpanija u fejnhom il UNIONS ???? ghax ma jibdewx diskuzjonijiet mal kbarat tal Maltapost, biex il haddiema, ikunu protetti.....u jekk il Maltapost ma tismax, allura l impjegati ghandom jinhargu fuq STRIKE........ hemm hajjithom fin nofs, isiru strikes, fuq hafna inqas....!!
R.Borg
Sep 2nd 2010, 20:07
Get him/her/them, Police, and lock him/her/them. Bil-haqq: Long live the prophets of doom and gloom! Imma kif taghmik l-ghira! Imma kif iddallmek il-passjoni politika li ggaghlek ma tarax id-dawl! Sewwa jghidu: L-injorant huwa l-ikbar ghadu tas-socjeta' u kemm hawn imbeccilli mas-saqajn!
monica muscat
Sep 2nd 2010, 18:33
Well said Mr. Zammit. Only yesterday I was approached by an ex-colleague of mine who told me how frightened he feels when on duty (with bulky postage from the office) at a post office branch I shall not mention, to avoid temptation. Hundreds and thousands of Euro are received daily, by way of purchase of postage stamps and related articles, but especially in the settlement of bills. It is time that Maltapost saw to the care and protection of its employees and customers. This time no one was hurt.. We cannot be sure of what might happen next. A Security Guard and Police Officer on Duty has become a must in these branches.
John A. Zammit
Sep 2nd 2010, 17:02
Overseas post offices were always targets for robbers since they handle considerable amounts of money. As has been said, nowadays also in Malta post offices are handling larger amounts of money than before; so the postal authorities ought to start thinking about upgrading their security arrangements. For those who have forgotten or are too young to know the postal service in the U.K. was the target of one of the most daring robberies of the last century: The Great Train Robbery. If we were to cross the Atlantic and go to the United States the world renowned security company Wells Fargo was established purposely to guard the postal service. Governments of whatever hue, have nothing to do with the incidence of property crimes; once there is money there are also thieves looking for an opportunity to grab it; the solution is to take away that opportunity and in my opinion this is the duty of whoever owns that money.
Charles Vassallo
Sep 2nd 2010, 16:03
My..my..my.. some of you people here are a sorry excuse for just even exsisting on this planet. So, kindly explain, please, where the current Government is to blame for hold-ups, roberry etc. It's as if these criminal acts just originated since the PN has been in government.
Should I laugh or should I cry!? True (in my opinion,that is) , that the present Government should pull it's trousers up on certain important local issues...but to read your comments on certain blogs such as this...
Well, I guess that this issue for you people has so much national importance just as the dilemma the new?, LP is facing to decide on their new emblem. Laughable, the least I can say.
Jeremy J Camilleri
Sep 2nd 2010, 18:35
I too condemn all the people who seek to put the blame of this crime on the Government. Such reasoning is beyond belief.
What the PL emblem has got to to do with this matter also is beyond, me, so good performance in sinking so low as those you so rightly criticised...
A Tagliaferro
Sep 2nd 2010, 15:14
@ Deo Catania
fuq l-ankra tad-Drydocks staqsi lil min ghandu ftit aktar min 60 sena.....
fuq atti kriminali, staqsi ftit lil vici kapijiet tal-PL biex jispjegawlek jekk il-kriminalita ghandix x'taqsam mal-gvern tal-gurnata......zgur li mhux ser jaqblu mieghek !!!....jekk jaqblu, jistghu jghatuna garanzija li jekk ikunu fil-gvern, dawn l-atti ser jonqsu ? jekk iva, jghidulna b'kemm......imma nahseb li ser tibqa bla risposta !!
u jekk il-kriminalita / serq hija kawza ta' Gvern...allura l-investiment kawza ta' min jigi ?
Deo Catania
Sep 3rd 2010, 10:10
Diga ghidtlek li ma jinteressani xejn mill-ankri jien, jistaw jinsterqu kollha ghalija. Issa jekk ghadek tghix 60 sena ilu problema tieghek pero tigix tmerri li Gonzi tieghek ma serrahx mohh il-poplu Malti li jista jghix f'daru bla biza. Sa fejn naf jien is-sigurta tal-pajjiz hija responsabilita tal-gvern ghax li kieku il-korp tal-pulizija jista lanqas biss jezisti. Jew forsi il- korp tal-pulizija gie privatizzat ukoll u ma nafx? Nuqqas kbir ta' flus fl-idejn kriminalita jgib. Nies bhalek huma l-istess bhal Gonzi, ma jinterassahomx mill-poplu u l-pajjiz. Ghax biex tigu taqbzu ghall-gvern fuq moqziezata bhal din tridu tkunu vera laqa kbar u ghandkom ragunijiet ohra ghala taghmlu dan. Ghandkom gvern sabih mela jekk la jrid u lanqas hu kapaci jiggieled u jikkontrolla l-kriminalita. Nistenna risposta m'ghand min kiteb favur il-gvern, f'idejn min hi r-rsponabilita tas-sigurta tal-pajjiz? Paroli biss ghandkom, tiddefendu partit/gvern hanzir ghall-poter.
A Tagliaferro
Sep 3rd 2010, 11:30
Deo Catania
jigifieri li kriminal iwettaq att kriminali int tiggistifikah ghax m'hawnx flus fl-idejn ???
qed tinkwieta li hawn Gvern li ma jghatikx garanzija li tghix bla biza u fl-istess hin qed tghid li l-ankri tad-drydocks jistghu jisirquhom kollha. Min jista jifhmek....mela flus il-poplu hekk tistmah int ???
jien nahseb li jekk tmur titlob lil avukati li semmejtlek aktar il-fuq ikun ahjar ghax forsi jghatuk risposti li jistghu jserrhulek rasek !!....u filkaz ikteb ir-risposta fuq hawn halli jarah kullhadd.....
g ellul
Sep 2nd 2010, 15:05
With the Water & Electricity bills being paid at the post office branches, it is understandable that these offices attract the attention of wrongdoers. And unlike our banks, employees @ post office branches have no protection.
i.cilia
Sep 2nd 2010, 14:43
This is really pathetic..
all you moaners here do you understand what you are saying? Are you implying that the Government, whether it is blue, red, green, black or yellow has the right to interfere in the security arrangements of any private company such as Maltapost?
It was only a matter of time before something like this happened. Maltapost branches are prime targets because they act as cash offices for Water and electricity bills with no security whatsoever.
So instead of ranting against Gonzi etc and whether Joe Muscat johrog qisu Batman bil lejl u bi nhar to protect our island, you should be ranting against Maltapost for leaving their employees without any protection or security whatsoever, and with all that money in their tills...
Get real people, rather than seeing things from your behinds...
ara x ghandu x jaqsam...
and please I hope that no one comes out with the excuse and ridiculous argument that these hold ups are a cause of the hike in the price of utility bills ta..
M.Borg
Sep 2nd 2010, 14:42
Fi zmien Gvern Laburista anke jekk ma kienitx taghmel xita kien jehel biha il-Gvern!
DBORG
Sep 2nd 2010, 14:42
Tafu li L-Maltapost hija kumpanija Privata ? X'ghandu x'jaqsam il-gvern u l-politika?
Mark Vella
Sep 2nd 2010, 14:34
Hawn malta dejjem tort tal gvern! Smajt li ghada qalu li ha taghmel Maltempata? Kif taghmel maltempata jekk Gonzi qalilna li ha jkun kollox under kontroll?! Jiehu hsiebna dal gvern eee! Imma x'taghmel, hekk mghagnin hafna nies hawn Malta hux. Dan mhux qed nghid li kieku jkun hemm il labour fil gvern in nazzjonalisti ma jaghmlux l'istess igifieri!
mpace2
Sep 2nd 2010, 14:27
The crime is on the rise and maybe its good idea more armed forces patrol the cities and towns
SXuereb
Sep 2nd 2010, 14:19
@gcForte
I have noticed, when reading your other comments, that WHATEVER happens in this country, it is always the goverment`s fault according to you! You should really be realistic regarding what you are saying since this does not happen only in Malta!
J Debono
Sep 2nd 2010, 14:08
Erm... Am i missing out of something???
Can you explain to me, how your brain works people??? How can you combine a Hold Up, with Politics??
Please explain...
Instead worrying about the Maltapost staff who could have got seriously hurt, to say the least, mohhkom dejjem biex iddahlu il politika!!
When will this country ever change, why do we always have to enter politics in everything!!!
My concern, over this hold up is that i hope that the person who committed this hold up gets caught, rather then if blue, red or green are governing!!
Grow Up fellow Maltese citizens!!!
J.Tonna
Sep 2nd 2010, 14:32
This reminds me when George Borg Olivier was speaking during a meeting in Sliema and it started to rain. GBO told the listeners that he was going to stop the meeting and everyone may go home, otherwiaw some will blame the government of the rain.
When we speak of the freaks of the weather we have I jokingly say "Bi gvern imhawwad x'tistenna, mhux temp imhawwad ukoll??"
Kollox tort tal gvern, insomma.
N.Grima
Sep 2nd 2010, 15:15
Unfortunately, these are the people who go out and vote at every election
L.Muscat
Sep 2nd 2010, 13:59
G.C.Forte u Deo Catania, Jekk xi darba ikolna gvern tal-Labour zgur jispicca is-serq. Probabli ghax ma jkunx hawn xtisraq.
Matthias Camilleri
Sep 2nd 2010, 14:36
Well said !
J.GALEA
Sep 2nd 2010, 14:40
TAF TITKELLEM. PROSIT TAL-KUMMENT, GHOGOBTNI.
gcForte
Sep 2nd 2010, 13:37
X`fadal isir f`dan il Pajjiz ta Pawlu.................Gejna qiesna xi pajjiz ta zmien il western, meta il cowboys il hziena jisirqu xi bank,u imbaghad jiggieldu max xeriff, u imbaghad jigi l-artist u jghaqbad lil hallelin. u imbaghad tigi l-artista u toghqod tbusu.................Ahjar li dejjem ikun film, u mhux ta veru.bhal ma qeghed jigri ghawn Malta. L-isbah hi, li tara lin news tan NET TV, u qiesna qeghedin nejxu fil genna ta l-art.
A Tagliaferro
Sep 2nd 2010, 13:46
u Deo Catania
mela nsejtu meta nsterqet (eh skuzawni...naqset) l-ankra mid-Drydocks....allura dawn l-affarijiet il-Gvern tal-gurnata jkun instighom ????...nahseb veru li m'ghandkomx memorja tajba jew ftit x'tghamlu biex tintilfu f'dawn l-argumenti......
Robert Stivala
Sep 2nd 2010, 13:49
ara vera bla sens. Igifieri l-hold ups Malta biss isiru?
jekk irridu nigu f'dan kull comparsion li tippubblika l-UE dwar kull tip ta kriminalita, malta dejjem tikklassifika fost l-aktar pajjizi safe.
igifieri kif "GonziPN" jispicca mill-poter daqshekk hold ups
Neil Dent
Sep 2nd 2010, 14:05
An individual apparently acting alone commits a hold-up, and the immediate reaction is to condemn the current government. Apparently we are in for some rough, stormy weather over the next couple of days - why not blame GonziPN for that too?
Hardly the Wild West, and Sliema Council or any other current affair has nothing to do with this story.
@ gcForte: Re Net TV - are you saying One are any better (or worse)? I personally disregard both of their news services, as they are so diametrically extreme and predictable in their own different ways. I'd suggest you do the same, although of course you may do so already.
I'm confident the thief will soon be aprehended. Surely post offices have CCTV these days? And without a hood or disguise the guy surely won't get far.
Deo Catania
Sep 2nd 2010, 14:13
@A Tagliaferro............din l-ankra li qed issemmi ma nafx biha u lanqas tinteressani, x'jimpurtani mill-ankra jien? jimpurtani mic-cittadini li hemm fid-djar, fit-toroq u fuq il-postijiet tax-xoghol li jkollhom jaffaccaw skoss kriminali go darhom u ma' wicchom. Ankra gej issemmi? tigix tghid li qeghdin genna ta' l-art ukoll, wara kollox Gonzi tieghek fetah halq daqshiex jghid li l-poplu Malti jista joqghod f'daru b'mohhu mistrieh jew se tmeri wkoll?
@Robert Stivala. hallina mic-cucati ta' l-EU, jekk se ssemmi l-EU semmi l-warnings li qlajna. Il-kriminalita zdiedet hawn Malta, issa jekk NET TV jghid mod iehor u temnuh ma niskantax.
gcForte
Sep 3rd 2010, 01:31
@ A Tagliaferro...........Jien mhux min seraq l-ankra jinteressani, ghax dik stajna xtrajna wahda, jinteressani hafna MIN SERAQ IL HOBZNA TA KULLJUM LIL AKTAR MIN 3000 haddiem tad dockyard u lil familji tahhom. Dawk ma tistax tixtrihom. Lil tal P.N..........L-animal joqtol jew jisraq sabiex ikollu x`jiekol. jekk il bniedem tnezzaw min giehu, ghax ma ittihx id dinjita tieghu, billi tiggarrantilu ix xoghol, u tqisu bhala bniedem u mhux numru, itih id dritt tieghu,u mhux tgheddu li ghawn min jiehu postu ( emigranti legali !!**) u tnehhilu id dritt ta l-istrajk. Hemm umbaghad jonqos is serq TA KULL GURNATA LI TGHADDI, Dak li qeghed jigri f`dan il pajjiz, bhal ma qeghed jigri f`kull pajjiz ta l U.E. ghax l-Ewropa inkluza Malta saret il landa li nitfaw dak li ma irridux... ta kullhadd.
joe vella
Sep 2nd 2010, 13:20
very best wishes for a speedy recovery to the employees at the branch who are really hard working people- it must have been a real shock! I am really sorry for them
I think Maltapost should review the security strategy at all the branches, especially the remote ones, since these offices are now very occupied with receiving money from energy , telephones bills etc
there is plenty of cash playing around and it appears that their offices could become easier targets, now that the banks have tightened their security arrangements
JOe VELLa
Sep 2nd 2010, 15:26
Joe,
My joke to the clerk when I enter our local Post Office is: ''If this is the Post Office?''.
I wrote before how ridiculous it is to buy a Malta stamp you need to wait for at least half an hour.
Those responsible should be aware the rescue these employees with all that CASH at hand are put to. Where is their Union?
We are lucky it did not happen sooner, I hope action will be taken to avoid more serious consequence that could be the cause of life and death.
Deo Catania
Sep 2nd 2010, 13:19
Il-gvern u gonzipn izjed mohhom fit-tejatrini tal-kunsilli lokali specjalment dak ta' tas-Sliema milli x'qed jigri fil-pajjiz, kuljum bil-kriminalita tizdied u kollox qisu xejn m'hu xejn. Vera gvern li jati kaz tal-poplu igifieri eee. Xi hadd bravu hafna kien assigurana li nistghu inserhu mohna bil-partit nazzjonalista fil-gvern. Nahseb cucata kbira kienet milli jidher.
Franco Spiteri
Sep 2nd 2010, 14:29
Issoltu paroli vojt ta dawk li kull ma jigri hazin iqumu jdoqqu t-trombi "Tort tal-Gvern! Tort tal- Gvern!" (ghax huma kontra dal-gvern minn dejjem u ghal dejjem jaghmel x'jaghmel)
Tpoggix rasek taht mannara Deo li jekk jitla l-lejber ma jsirux holdups iktar u tkun tista sseraha rasek? Isa serraha rasek taht il-mannara ha turina kemm int konvint minn dak li ktibt.
Jien nahseb li l-akbar cucati int ghidthom habib
J Bajada
Sep 2nd 2010, 14:39
@ Catania
ic-cucati qed tghidhom int siehbi. zgur li meta Gonzi kien jghid bil-mistrieh ta mohh, kien minn ghalik li ha tispicca l-kriminalita! hekk gaghluk temmen tal-ONE? jien personalment mohhi mistrieh avolja miniex sinjur (u m'ghandix ghalfejn inkun). xi tridu jaghmel il-gvern? jiehu post il-pulizija u johrog jaqbad il-kriminali hu? trid li jaghmel l-ghassa ma kull bieb li hawn f'Malta? messek tmur tghinhom int mela. imbaghad fejn tidhol EU, ghaliex ghandna nharsu lejn il-hazin biss? kollox negattiv f'hajtek ghandek int? jiddispjacini ghalik ta! il-kriminalita zdiedet ghax hawn hafna nies li minn eta zghira jitrabbew x'ghala ghajnhom minn kollox imbaghad meta jigu bzonn il-flus, m'ghandhomx fejn imorru ghax jahdmu ma jridux, allura imorru jisirqu. irringrazzja lil bambin li mintix wiehed minnhom filkaz.
T Cuschieri
Sep 2nd 2010, 15:32
Vera ... Gonzi missu joqod idur fit-toroq biex jara li ma jsirux holdups.
Sur Catania, erga aqra dak li ktibt u tara kemm dak li qed tghid ma jaghmilx sens. X'ghandu x'jaqsam il gvern, l-oppozizzjoni u kull partit politiku iehor ma hold-up?!
Imma bhas soltu, tipruvaw ddahlu l-politika f'kollox. Bhal ma kien jghid politikant li nahseb taf min hu inti "jekk titfa t-tajn, xi ftit minnhu jehel". Dak li qed tipprova taghmel sur catania?