Sliema is being hit by a new spate of daring robberies, The Malta Independent has learnt.

Police sources said many residences and shops in the locality were being targeted by organised crime.

This newspaper understands that a number of apartments and shops have been targeted over the past few days, with the robbers either breaking the door locks or even removing entire limestone or concrete blocks to gain entry into the premises.

A source said that only houses and shops that were equipped with an alarm system were being spared, with the daring robbers seemingly unfazed by the presence of CCTV cameras. “They are not really worried about CCTV because they can easily cover their faces, such as by wearing a hoodie,” a source said.

The Malta Independent has been told that police officers at the Sliema station are spending the majority of their time working on these thefts. “We are receiving reports on a daily basis,” the source said.

Home Affairs Minister Michael Farrugia recently said that the number of thefts in Sliema had gone down when compared to 2012. Farrugia said a total of 76 burglaries had been reported from Sliema in 2012, the highest on record, in comparison to the 55 reported last year.

In April of this year it was reported that burglars were targeting apartments in Sliema and St Julian’s, and were drilling through key locks to gain entry into the properties.

In all cases, thieves stole jewellery, cash and watches, while larger items, such as televisions, gaming consoles, hi-fi systems, laptops and computers were not touched. Times of Malta had reported that most burglaries were taking place between 3pm and 6pm, which was described as a ‘peculiar’ time for the commissioning of such a crime.

A few days later it was reported that burglars, most probably from the same gang, had locked a sleeping family inside their bedroom while they ransacked their Swieqi villa.