Attard could be the next target for professional criminals believed to be using coded markings - pencil marks or scratches - to identify houses for potential burglary.

A similar system was noted in the Sliema-Swieqi area a couple of weeks ago when a resident highlighted the matter on his Facebook wall by posting a photo of the doodle he found scribbled on his intercom.

Attard mayor Stefan Cordina confirmed that he had received three phone calls from residents living in the Misraħ Kola area, who noticed unusual markings on their house intercoms in recent days.

Mr Cordina said the council wrote to the police asking for more patrols and surveillance in the locality as a result of this latest development.

The markings are codes used by criminals to impart information to colleagues about the house being targeted. The codes include identifiers as to whether a house is unoccupied and at which time of day.

More in Times of Malta and the e-paper on timesofmalta.com Premium.

See also http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20140806/local/updated-sliemas-burglary-rate-already-equals-all-of-last-years-marks-alert-residents.530762

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