A Romanian man was yesterday jailed for 18 months after he admitted to stealing more than €5,000 of jewellery from three shops before he was caught on closed circuit cameras.

Momita Maricel, 25, together with another man who still has to be found, would ask sales assistants to view some items and when these moved to retrieve the goods the two men would steal from the shelves, Police Inspector James Grech told the court.

The officer said Mr Maricel stole €3,600 worth of precious items from Solid Gold Jewellers, €1,200 from Classic Jewellers at the airport and €250 from Vascas Jewellers in Mellieħa. In the last theft, a sales girl chased him and managed to retrieve a ring.

He was arrested on Tuesday together with another man, Romanian Alin Catalin Stancu, 35, from Paceville, inside a shop when a sales girl recognised him from CCTV footage that had been circulated by the owners of the jewellery shops.

Mr Stancu was also arraigned yesterday after he was found in possession of a stolen mobile phone. Mr Stancu denied handling stolen property and relapsing and was remanded in custody.

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