Number of thefts drops to 4,574 in 2018

The number of thefts has dropped to 4,574 in 2018, Home Affairs Minister Michael Farrugia has revealed. 

Replying to a parliamentary question, Farrugia provided figures which showed that the number of thefts decreased by 15.4% when compared to 2017, which recorded 5404 thefts, while 2016 had recorded 6369 thefts. 

In an interview with The Malta Independent earlier this year, Inspector Kurt Zahra from the Criminal Investigation Department said that pickpocketing articularly affected tourists more than Maltese, given that the offender would take into consideration that the person does not know the surrounding environment well. 

While also noting that the figures had dropped, Zahra said that It was time to start considering pickpocketing as organised crime rather than simple petty crimes, adding that the absolute majority of arrests are Eastern Europeans who work in groups.

from The Malta Independent https://ift.tt/2Qmh8yq
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