Professional gang burgles homes in Sliema using bump keys
A recent spate of burglaries in Sliema has made elderly residents fearful of leaving their homes.
Police say that a gang of five men of Bulgarian and Romanian nationality, a are using sophisticated tools to break into apartments in Sliema.
This was confirmed by a police source who said that over the last month in Sliema, a professional gang has been targeting homes and burgling them, making off with all their possessions.
The gangs are using a device called a “bump key” to get into individual apartment units without needing to cause any damage and leave any traces behind.
A 'bump key', a tool used to bypass locks without the need of force
On Saturday night an apartment was burgled in the heart of Sliema – in the latest in a spate of burglaries and crimes that have instilled fear among the Sliema community, especially the elderly.
One woman, aged 81, who lives close by told MaltaToday that she was scared of leaving her house. “Most of my friends are also petrified to leave the house. There are many elderly who live alone.”
Police sources said the group of five operate by breaking off into two units. One unit of two would enter the apartment and the other three would remain nearby on the lookout in case the residents or police appear on the scene.
A spokesperson for the police’s Community and Media Relations Unit (CMRU) confirmed that a house in Triq il-Palazz Capua, Sliema had been burgled on Saturday night.
The theft is said to have been made between 9.45 and 10.45pm, when the owners were not at home.
As yet, no one has been apprehended in connection with the burglary.
Police sources confirmed with MaltaToday that the burglary is likely to have been carried out by the same five members of the East European gang. The sources told MaltaToday: “They do not usually choose a home without some prior knowledge about the people’s habits and the possessions in the house. They acquire this information from the most ‘unlikely’ sources.”
Saturday’s burglary in Sliema is the latest in a spate of crimes that have instilled fear, and which have caused serious concerns in the Sliema community.
Recent statistics show that St Julian’s is Malta’s crime capital, with Sliema in second place. A total of 217 burglaries from occupied buildings in Sliema were reported. There were also 47 burglaries from vacant buildings.
Police have warned Sliema residents about the increasing number of burglaries which are reportedly being carried out by professional foreign gangs. Residents have also been warned to exercise caution and keep a lookout for any suspicious activities.
