Five Eastern Europeans suspected of having been involved in a total of 28 thefts from residences in Pieta, Sliema, Gzira, St Julian's and St Paul's Bay were remanded in custody today after pleading not guilty to the charges. 

The accused are: Kartlos Dolaberidze, 41, from Georgia; Krzysztof Tadeusz Latocha, 30, from Poland; Algidras Sliogeris, 49, from Lithuania; Adilet Shakirgazieva, 27, from Kyrgyzstan and Mate Oniani, 25, from Georgia. They said they were all unemployed. 

Photo: Chris Sant Fournier

They were all charged with their involvement in organised crime, participating in criminal activities, forming part of a gang of organised crime and handling stolen property. 

The first three alone were charged with thefts from residences in Nazzarenu, Mrabat, Tigne, Torri, Sir Arturo Mercieca, Hughes Hallet, Cathedral, Pace, Adrian Dingli, Graham, Karm Galea, Locker and Ghar id-Dud Streets in Sliema. The thefts took place between July 31 and September 5. 

They were also charged with three attempted thefts on August 4 and 24 from apartments in Cathedral, Locker and Karm Galea Streets in Sliema. 

Mr Latocha alone was charged with thefts from residences in Reggie Miller Street, Gzira, as well as others two residences in Triq it-Torri, Sliema and Triq ix-Xatt in Pieta. The theft took place on in June, July and August 2014. 

Mr Dolaberidze alone was charged with thefts from residences in Tower and Graham streets in Sliema in May and August 2014.

Mr Sliogeris alone was charged with thefts from residences in Tigne, Torri, Depiro streets in Sliema, Bugibba Road in St Paul's Bay and Sacred Heart Road in St Julian's in June, November and December last year. He was also charged with possession of a falsified Lithuanian identity card.

Police Inspector Fabian Fleri told Magistrate Natasha Galea Sciberras that the police had checked his documents and were told by Lithuanian authorities that they were false. He said his fingerprints and DNA sample had been sent abroad and the police were waiting to confirm his real identity. 

He said that from CCTV footage analysed by the police, two of the accused were being seen repetitively. The police mounted intensive surveillance and spotted the two on a bus in St Paul's Bay on Wednesday. They were arrested and refused to collaborate with the police. 

Further investigations led the police to an apartment in Triq Andrew Cunningham in Qawra where the police found the other three defendants along with a number of keys and other tools usually used in thefts as well as cash and jewellery that had been reported stolen. 

Legal aid defence counsel Joseph Mizzi requested bail for his clients, saying that they did not know any of the victims of the crime they had allegedly committed and that the refusal to grant bail was the exception rather than the rule. 

Photo: Chris Sant Fournier

But Police Inspector Kurt Magro said police investigations were still ongoing as there could be other people involved in the spate of thefts. He said these gangs usually went to country, committed a number of thefts and then flee the country when they realise that they were being followed or investigated. 

Magistrate Galea Sciberras turned down the request as they did not offer the necessary guarantees according to law. They were remanded in custody. 

The sitting was long and winding as the defendants asked for the seven pages of charges brought against them to be read out one by one in court. These then had to translated into Georgian and Russian by an interpreter. 

Police Inspector Jonathan Ransley also prosecuted. Sliema mayor Anthony Chircop and councillor John Pillow were present in court during the arraignment. 

INVESTIGATIONS ARE ONGOING - POLICE COMMISSIONER

Earlier today, Police Commissioner Michael Cassar announced that the five had been arrested following investigations which involved many undercover officers.

"We believe that the arrests represent a very high percentage of the people conducting these thefts but we not exclude that a number of others are still out there so investigations are ongoing," Mr Cassar said.

He said the police did not say anything earlier because so as not to hinder the investigations while still in the early stages.

"We have recently been criticised that not enough is being done and as a result people were not feeling safe. This is not true, we were working on this but we could not speak up so as not to give the game away.

"In Sliema alone there are at least 30 officers at any given time, which is a lot given the current police population," Mr Cassar said.

The Police Commissioner said the police were regularly in touch with their European counterparts and Europol as the methods used by these five tallied to those used in a wave of thefts across Europe

"Malta is not alone in experiencing this phenomenon.

"Finland has 50 thefts a day using the same methods," he said adding that the criminals were particularly difficult to trace because of their mobility across Europe, leaving one country and moving on another member state where they would commit the same crimes.

Mr Cassar said the majority of officers involved worked undercover and included a number of different divisions ranging from the Criminal Investigation Department, the Traffic Section, the Rapid Intervention Unit and even the Drug Squad.

The robbers targeted apartments rather than houses, especially those without alarm systems or closed circuit camera surveillance.

Sources said the police have started to identify a lot of the stolen items, including some 50 wrist watches, jewellery and small valuable items.

SLIEMA COUNCIL 'DELIGHTED'

In a statement, the Sliema council expressed its delight at the news and thanked the police for their professionalism, dedication and action.

It said it shall continue offering its unrelenting support to both residents and the police to ensure peace of mind and safety in the locality.