In 2016, seven people, all men, were taken to court accused of committing a hold-up, according to the Minister for Home Affairs and National Security Carmelo Abela.

Responding to a parliamentary question from MP Silvio Schembri, Abela said that of those seven offenders four were Maltese whilst the rest were of a foreign nationality.

The number of holdups has fallen in comparison with the previous year which saw 13 individuals charged with committing a hold-up, six of whom were Maltese.