Two plainclothes policemen who waited on bus stops and travelled on buses in an attempt to curb pickpocketing registered a success yesterday, leading to the arrest and conviction of a Romanian woman.

Magistrate Charmaine Galea heard how the Bulgaria-born Asya Georgieva Stancheva, 19, who holds a Romanian passport, was arrested when the officers saw her opening a woman's handbag as she was alighting a bus close to the Preluna Hotel in Sliema.

The officers identified themselves and arrested the woman immediately.

Before the court, Ms Stancheva pleaded guilty to the attempted theft and was sentenced to a month in jail.

Police Inspector Jason Sultana prosecuted while lawyer Benjamin Valenzia appeared for the woman as legal aid.

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