Three youngsters were arrested after allegedly stealing a cigarette machine from the British Hotel in Valletta at around 11pm last Wednesday. Curtis Bakoush, 20 from Valletta, Annise Bejaoui, 20 from Rabat and Malcolm Mercieca, 24 from Kalkara allegedly dragged the cigarette machine from the hotel’s cafeteria through the restaurant and down the steps of Battery Street. The machine contained e1,400 worth of cigarettes and the damage caused to it and the cafeteria amounts to e2,400. Witnesses saw the youths arguing while carrying the machine. Abruptly, they decided to abandon it in the middle of the road and flee, presiding Magistrate Audrey Demicoli heard. The youngsters are also charged with damaging the hotel, owned by Martin Baron, and the machine owned by British American Tobacco Limited. Two tourists from Manchester and a Maltese emigrant from England who were at the hotel during the theft testified that they heard loud noises and saw the three young people going down the stairs with the cigarette machine. Curtis Bakoush was also charged with stealing diving equipment and other tools from Subway Diving in St Elmo Street, Valletta on 11 January 2008 at 5pm and with relapsing. Police Inspector Keith Arnaud and Pierre Micallef Grimaud led the prosecution. Lawyers Gabrielle Buttigieg, Daniela Mangion and Noel Bianco appeared for the accused.