As burglaries in the Sliema and St Julian’s areas persist, police have established a pattern that points towards an organised gang - most probably foreigners from Eastern Europe – being responsible, The Malta Independent is informed.

Sources within the Police Corps told this newsroom that burglars are using socks, taken from the victims’ closets and worn as gloves to prevent them from leaving any finger-prints in the residences they target. These socks are then left close to the property or outside the doors of the residences they burgle as they leave the place, sources told this newsroom.

It is probable that once they break in, the burglars make their way to the bedroom to look for socks. Police investigating the burglaries are finding smudged fingerprints only on chests of drawers where clothes are kept. Once socks are found they are worn as gloves while the thieves are inside the building, ransacking the place.

The ‘sock gang’ are only stealing items they can carry away in both arms and pockets, as they do not want to attract unnecessary attention, considering that both Sliema and St Julian’s are densely populated areas.

It is understood that fingerprints that have been analysed by forensic experts have not been matched with any fingerprints belonging to Maltese criminals who have already been caught, leading investigators to believe that the perpetrators are foreigners who are not on the books. This newsroom is informed that police investigators who are now feeling the heat of residents’ complains. Maltese police have also turned for help from their European counterparts in the hope that they could have records of fingerprints found at certain crime scenes.

As robberies remain unabated, residents are complaining that not enough is being done by the police, and have now taken to social media to discuss the best way forward.

On Monday, such complaints were put forward during a meeting Minister Manwel Mallia had with residents in St Julian’s. Minister Mallia is not only responsible for the police force but he was also elected to Parliament from these districts.

In June, this newsroom published a story reporting a spike in robberies in the Sliema and St Julian’s area. This phenomenon has now spread to other highly-populated areas such as St Paul’s Bay, Qawra and Bugibba.

The Malta Independent has learnt that a particular road in Sliema, Sir Luigi Camilleri Street, has been targeted by the thieves, with residents collectively requesting their local council to increase police presence in the area.

Commenting on the popular social media page The Salott, residents insisted that more needs to be done, calling the matter ‘urgent’. All agreed that the spike in robberies is causing many to live in fear, especially the elderly, with some refusing to leave their home even for a short while.

Many proposed that residents should organise neighbourhood watch among themselves, with some counter-arguing that it is not enough.

A number of residents expressed their disappointment towards the authorities, claiming that there have not been any developments in the police investigations. Sliema residents argued that having police cruising along the front is certainly far from being enough, given that most of the burglaries are taking place in side streets too.

One contributor pointed out that in a period of one week; two blocks of apartments in the same road were broken into. Another claimed her colleague was mugged in broad daylight, when two men pushed her to the ground and took her personal belongings. Suggestions of CCTV cameras at the entrance of blocks were put forward; others recommended that individuals should try and alter their routine and avoid leaving the house at the same time each day.