Court presented with evidence against gang of thirteen accused of pickpocketing

Thirteen Bulgarian nationals, eight women and five men, appeared in court today before Magistrate Caroline Farrugia Frendo on charges of organised crime, conspiracy to commit a crime and theft, to which they had earlier pleaded not guilty.

The police presented to court their compilation of evidence, consisting of handbags, mobile phones and cash, which was seized from the hotel room the accused were in.

The police also presented several conviction sheets from six European countries – Italy, Austria, Czech Republic, the United Kingdom, Greece and Bulgaria.

A few of the accused had convictions of theft from previous years in some of the mentioned countries. One was also previously convicted of money laundering.

The police explained that in their last testimony, the accused had denied that they knew each other, however they were yesterday informed by one of the accused that a number of them were in fact closely related.

Police were still awaiting conviction sheets from France, Spain and Germany.

Taking the witness stand, one the police officers who was charged with picketpocketing-related surveillance, explained that through intelligence reports they had received, the pickpocketing itself would be undertaken by the women.

The surveillance had started in July this year.

The women were the first to attract the police’s attention, as they would be placed in the area between Ghar id-Dud and the ferry in Sliema, holding large handbags.

They would board buses, stay on for two or three bus stops, then alight from the middle door of the bus and re-board the same bus from the front after more people had boarded the bus.

The men were only present once during the surveillance, when one of them was observed very discreetly collecting money from one of the female pickpockets.

It was the way the monetary exchange took place, without any words being said by both parties, which looked suspicious, the police officer explained.

Two children were also once noticed to be with one of the pickpockets

Following the police officer’s testimony, the prosecution said that they believed there was prima facie enough evidence for the court to investigate further.

The defence argued that the prosecution had to prove that on the face of it the charges had to result in the case of every one of the accused.

The evidence the court had so far was only enough for suspicions. There was not enough evidence to prove any crime, but the accused were arrested to prevent them from leaving the island, the defence argued.

There had to be enough evidence presented to convince the court that the case should continue, it added.

It said that Maltese law did not define the difference between five people committing a crime, and an organisation committing the crime. So how could organised crime, which the accused are being charged with, be defined under Maltese law, the prosecution question.

It also maintained that at the moment suspicions is all there was, not evidence of crime. The accused were on buses because they were tourists, like the other tourists on the bus. The exchange of money between the male and female pickpockets was the only suspicion.

The case was based only on imagined offences, the defence said. The prosecution was imagining an organised crime group which had come to Malta to pickpocket.

Since when has it become an offence to come to Malta if you have a criminal past, it asked.

The prosecution was contesting the charges because there was no prima facie evidence for said. Conclusions were reached by the police without the presence of pure evidence.

In response to this, the prosecution argued that it was the court that had to decide about the evidence, and this would result in a judgement.

The case continues.

Lawyers Shaheryar Ghaznavi and Charlon Gouder are appearing for the accused.

Inspector Jonathan Ransley is prosecuting.