Jewellery thieves arrested and charged, one admits and is jailed for 18 months

Romanian national Momita Marciel, 25 of Botosani was jailed for 18 months this afternoon, after he admitted to a string of thefts from three jewellery shops in the space of a few days.

Marciel, who muttered offensive words to Magistrate Doreen Clarke as soon as she handed him a jail sentence, was the man who appeared on the forefront of a still taken from CCTV cameras installed at Vascas jewellery shop in Mellieha.

Marciel was charged with the theft of €3,600 worth of gold bracelets from Solid Gold Jewellery in Sliema on November 16, another gold bracelet worth €1,700 from Classic Jewellers at Malta International Airport on November 20, and a ring worth €250 from Vascas Jewellers in Mellieha on November 24.

The Romanian was arrested together with another Romanian identified as Alin-Catalin Stancu, 35 of Bucharest at Hebe Jewellers, when they were about to commit another theft.

The salesgirl managed to call the police in time, when she recognised Marciel from the photo which was circulated on Facebook.

Stancu, who denied the charges, was accused of being in possession of a stolen Samsung mobile phone, and for having committed a crime while still under the conditions of a previous conditional discharge by the Maltese Courts. He was remanded in custody.

According to Inspectors James Grech and Tony Cachia who prosecuted, Marciel had committed the crimes in the few days he was in Malta, and deserved to be handed an effective jail term.

The Inspectors said that investigations are still ongoing and Police are searching for more members of the gang. One of which is driving a Romanian licensed BMW car.