The Malta Independent on Sunday spoke to the postal officer at the Paola branch who confirmed that all the sacks had been rifled and a number of parcels seem to have gone missing. The official, who prefers to remain unnamed, said a steady stream of people had stopped by to enquire about packages and letters they had posted, and others, who had received a notification to collect a parcel or registered letter Asked what procedures were being followed, the official said that a reconciliation process was underway with parcels being ticked off against a list to determine which ones were missing. The branch staff appeared quite shaken by this unfortunate incident although it was business as usual.

The Malta Independent on Sunday also spoke to a student from Santa Lucija who had come to check if his package was missing. Parcel notice in hand and looking slightly distraught, the student said he had been waiting for an important parcel to arrive and was told that until the reconciliation process is over, the whereabouts of his package could not be determined. Paola residents who were passing by were also asked if they had heard any commotion in the area but a couple said they first heard about the break-in from the news bulletin.

The official said that on first inspection some items such as CDs and similar objects appear to have been stolen although he was not in a position to quantify the amount of damage done. If items were stolen, insurance cover should be sufficient to compensate the victims, the official added.

The Malta Independent on Sunday also spoke to some ‘old hands’ who were discussing the theft in the square. An elderly man said that to his knowledge this is the first time that the post office was burgled and, the fact that this is one of the busiest areas in the town seems to imply that the thieves were looking for a particular parcel. Others were concerned that their pension cheque would be affected since, as one added, “I receive my British pension cheque at around this time and it hasn’t turned up.” “Nowhere seems safe these days, not even the post office,” another man chimed in. Paola citizens are clearly annoyed that a crime was committed in the busy square on Maundy Thursday, of all days. Opposite, the imposing church of Christ The King was packed with devotees carrying out one of the seven visits to the Holy Sepulchre. The burglars had another visit in mind.