Thou shalt not steal… especially from sacred places. But six items reported stolen from chapels over the past decade remain missing.

A bell stolen from the Santa Lucia chapel in Mtarfa in October 2009 and a 22cm high silver sanctuary lamp taken from Tal-Ħerba chapel, in Birkirkara in January 2012 are two of the artefacts the police cultural property crime section is still looking for.

The list includes two bells, stolen from the Santu Kristu church, in Għaxaq on March 26, 2013 and a brass candle holder that went missing from Tal-Vittorja church in Senglea on November 1, 2014.

The latest item to go missing is a ring stolen from a statue of Saint Joseph from Tal-Karmnu church, in Valletta on November 5, 2014.

Their value is unknown and a police spokesman said that could only be estimated by a court-appointed expert should anyone be arraigned.

Any information that can lead to tracing the six items can be communicated to the police on 119 or 2122 4001.

Earlier this year, a man was jailed for seven years after being found guilty of committing a string of thefts, including an antique vase from Stella Maris parish church, Sliema, a silver chalice from the Safi church and a silver vase from St Paul Shipwrecked church, in Valletta. The police spokesman said all the artefacts stolen by this man were recovered.

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