VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – A coordinated European operation has led to the arrest of five suspects in Sweden over a €200,000 jewellery heist at a Floriana shop in March.
The suspects, four men and one woman, are all foreign nationals and are believed to have fled Malta shortly after carrying out the robbery at Victor Azzopardi Jewellers.
The arrests followed a joint investigation involving Malta’s Major Crimes Unit and Europol, which tracked the suspects’ movements across Europe.
CCTV footage from the day of the robbery showed a man and a woman entering the shop and heading directly towards a storage cabinet. The man was then seen opening it and stealing the jewellery before the pair left the premises.
Investigators believe the theft was carefully coordinated, with one suspect allegedly distracting a shop employee by asking for advice about jewellery displayed in the shop window while the others carried out the robbery.
The group reportedly drove straight to the airport and left Malta on the same day. Three suspects travelled to Madrid, while the remaining two headed to Paris.
Their getaway vehicle was later discovered abandoned in Luqa as investigators continued efforts to identify and locate those involved.
The investigation eventually led authorities to Sweden, where all five suspects have now been arrested.
Malta’s authorities are currently working to secure their extradition so they can face criminal proceedings in connection with the robbery.
Investigators also believe the suspects could be linked to another major theft in Malta, raising the possibility that the group was involved in further criminal activity.
– Photo Ipa Agency –
(ITALPRESS).
