Two Romanians were arraigned charged with shoplifting and handling stolen goods in a trend where thieves line bags in tinfoil to escape the detectors installed at shops' entrances.

Tija Budescu, 66, pleaded not guilty to stealing a pair of glasses from Optika in Sliema. A police search at her St Julian's residence yielded a bag of stolen costume jewellery, two mobile phones and electronics.

Her legal aid lawyer, Benjamin Valencia, requested bail.

Prosecuting inspector Matthew Spagnol objected, arguing that the accused had just been released from jail after being sentenced for similar crimes. He added that she had no fixed address and could therefore "disappear at any time".

Magistrate Francesco Depasquale remanded the woman in custody.

In a separate arraignment, Marian Casu pleaded guilty to receiving stolen goods. As he was exiting a shop in Sliema, he was challenged by staff on suspicion of shoplifting. He tried to run away and in the process dropped a tinfoil-lined bag he had been carrying. He was later found with a stolen mobile phone.

Mr Casu told the court he had arrived in Malta on Saturday to "seek employment".

Magistrate Depasquale handed him a six-month sentence suspended for four years, accompanied by a stern warning that if he intended to go down the road of crime, he would soon become a regular client of the courts and of prison.

"If you cannot find work, then better return home," the magistrate said.