Social media posts concerning the spread of false news and instances of threats and incitement of racial hatred, primarily targeting foreigners and immigrants, are the crimes the police highlighted as being directly related to COVID-19.
As the Coronavirus spreads, so do crimes related to it − with criminals capitalising on fear and panic and the urge to blame others.
This racial hatred comes about as Malta and Italy have shut their ports to asylum seekers, deeming them unsafe, due to the Coronavirus outbreak. This has left about 55 migrants stranded in Maltese territorial waters, which has sparked a heated debate.
The Hal Far Open Centre was also closed off, with all residents being held under quarantine. It was reported that the residents were complaining of the conditions under which they were being held, with the measures established being put into place for the protection of the public, rather than to control the outbreak at the Centre.
A spokesperson for the police also noted that three cases of hate crime were reported over the last month.
Other crimes include theft and cyber attacks
Speaking with this newsroom, senior inspector at the Investigations Department within the Police Force, Fabian Fleri also said that there was also a notable change in petty crimes, revolving around theft.
On the other hand, there has been no significant increase in the number of domestic violence cases reported in March, which was depicted by the Coronavirus infection control measures and appeals from the authorities to stay at home, the police told this newsroom.
A spokesperson for the police also said that the current situation, with most companies operating on either a skeletal staff or through teleworking, also brings to the fore new challenges for these organisations, in terms of cyberattacks.
These organisations need to continue operating and this brought with it sudden changes in work practices, which may expose organisations to certain threats. The police said that criminals may exploit the vulnerability of inexperienced users and confusion.
The Malta Police Force is also sharing, through its social media channels, preventative information that is also being disseminated by Europol and other law enforcement partners.
It was also reported that a shipment of 50,000 Malta-bound medical suits had been ransacked in a Turkish shipping warehouse. The police have confirmed that they have not received reports of such goods being stolen on arrival in Malta. Readers, however, have reported items like sanitisers, which were sent by their family in the UK that did not arrive at their final destination, in Malta. They received a notice that these items were stolen in transit.