A Bulgarian woman was jailed for five months after she was caught pickpocketing just hours after she landed in Malta.

Parashkeva Varbanova, 22, pleaded guilty to stealing wallets and using bank cards to withdraw around €2,200 between Saturday and Thursday.

Ms Varbanova cried continuously throughout the arraignment and showed Magistrate Doreen Clarke a picture of her son.

But Prosecuting Inspector James Grech called for Ms Varbanova to be jailed because, he said, Maltese people were becoming victims of Romanians and Bulgarians who visited Malta for a week to commit crimes.

In fact, Ms Varbanova was arrested during a police investigation into two Romanian women who were also caught pickpocketing at the Valletta Waterfront.

But defence counsel Mark Mifsud Cutajar said the inspector was exaggerating, and pointed out that Ms Varbanova had a young son who needed an operation.

The inspector said he had his doubts about how much she cared about her son because she left Bulgaria two months ago.

Magistrate Clarke jailed her for five months.

Police Inspector James Grech prosecuted.

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