An average of 23 thefts were reported every day to the police in Malta and Gozo in the last thirteen months since March 2015, reaching a total of 9,357 cases.

Eight per cent of the reports were related to robberies from private homes, where only 97 of the 780 burgled residences were vacant when the robbery took place.

Replying to a parliamentary question by Carmelo Mifsud Bonnici (PN), Home Affairs Minister Carmelo Abela gave a breakdown of the reports submitted to the police between March 2015 and March 2016.

The highest number of thefts took place in summer, reaching a peak in July 2015 with 1,266 cases, followed by the 1,068 reports registered the following month. Conversely, the lowest number of thefts, 491, was reported last January.

Twenty-one per cent (1,990 cases) of the theft reports submitted to the police were related to pickpocketing, the most common type of theft reported. Reflecting the general trend, most pickpocketing cases were reported in July (402 cases) and August (282 cases).

These cases do not include the 433 reports of theft reported to have taken place in streets and public areas and the snatch-and-grab reports that reached 165 in number.

Another 32 robbery reports from religious premises were submitted to the police; in 19 of these cases, it was visitors who were suspected of having committed the theft.

The next highest grouping of theft was reported to have taken to place from means of transport, where 1,406 vehicles and 131 sea craft were involved. These figures exclude the 248 cars that were stolen.

Customers of various establishments, including bars, restaurants and retail outlets, were suspected of involvement in 1,008 of the theft cases reported during these thirteen months.

On the other hand, the employees of such businesses were involved in 101 thefts.

Weapons were used in 44 theft incidents spread over the 13-month period, except in October 2015 when no armed robbery was reported. Mugging reports amounted to 58.