Police said the reports span May to July, with most of the cases in Bormla. The items allegedly stolen included cash, electronic devices, tools, clothing and other personal belongings. Several vehicles were also allegedly damaged.
Following what police described as intensive investigations, officers identified a suspect they believe is connected to all of the cases. That is the heart of the prosecution’s case, and also the part that still sits, for now, at the level of allegation rather than proof.
The man was arraigned before Magistrate Kevan Azzopardi, pleaded not guilty and was denied bail. He remains in preventive custody.
What lifts this beyond the usual one-off court brief is the scale police are alleging: not a single break-in, but a string of reports spread across four localities and tied, they say, to one person. The court process will have to do the slow work that police statements do not — showing how, and how firmly, each reported theft is linked to the accused.
Alex de Valletta 
Marcus Azzopardi 
Isla Camilleri