Thief Thief !!!!!!!!!!

Shoppers beware. Someone grabbed my ipad and ran right in front of me from one of the prestigious shop in Sliema at 11am this morning.  I just turned to see something and kept the ipad on the stool behind me. It all happened in a flick of a second.
I just was struck with awe and couldn't even utter a word up until he was gone.  Security came in and turned out the cameras are out of order today.  Only thing to be done was to report to police.  Useless as if police has ever done something good.  Very bad day indeed.

People beware its not safe here anymore.

sorry for your loss .. though you shouldn't leave things unattended even for a second ..
you should a t least report it to the police so you can claim on your insurance .. assuming you have insurance ..

Thanks for that but I got no papers to show. I just got it from the maltapark and paid quite a hefty sum.

what shop exactly?
and I believe that the cameras were out of order for many more days, not just today
i don't know the law in malta, but in my country shop would pay for non working video surveillance, so try speaking to the manager, maybe you can get them to refund you the cost for new ipad

ofc, be aggressive since only that seems to work here

Sorry to hear about this nasty experience. Please inform the phone company:
I understand iPads are traceable if they'd been registered with Apple.
It avoids getting a large phone bill in a month or two.
At the very least your phone company can blacklist the phone and render it permanently useless.

I don't think you need to have a receipt to prove ownership and claim on your insurance. Reporting it to the police is enough. They could investigate the incident, follow up with the said shop staff and in any case you will have a case number and a copy of police report.

Best wishes

Sorry to hear that your iPad got taken.... Don't let this put you off malta.. I'm from south of the Uk in a nice part.. And I would expect my iPad to go missing if I left it on the seat behind me.... Wish you good luck on finding who took it 😁

Thanks for the heads up! I live in Sliema and my elderly parents are here for a couple more weeks. My dad mentioned a couple days ago he's heard about elderly people being mugged. Easy to let your guard down here.

New Horizonz- it's a tablet, not a phone. Brand new so nothing personal on it yet I assume. But  I agree with the poster who said to register a complaint that the cameras weren't working. Worth a try.

Nange wrote:

New Horizonz- it's a tablet, not a phone. Brand new so nothing personal on it yet I assume. But  I agree with the poster who said to register a complaint that the cameras weren't working. Worth a try.


Well my friend, if It's an iPad 3G (takes a SIM card) then it comes with the GPS support chip and functionality, same as an iPhone! If it was a WiFi only version, this feature isn't available. If it had GPS and was registered with Apple, there is an APP that one can use on another Apple product, to track own registered (missing) device down to the address where it's located (provided it's powered on, on a contract and receiving 3G signals).
This is my understanding but you/someone else might know something that I don't know.

Shops aren't under legal obligations to have video equipment installed or have them always operational. Most do so for preventing theft. I cannot see how going down that avenue can help the owner of the stolen iPad but out of courtesy they might help, at their discretion.

Ok, I have the wireless version. Thanks for the details. Regardless, hopefully it was password protected.

take a look at find/track my iPad and see if it helps doesn't have to have a sim in, its wifi http://www.apple.com/uk/icloud/find-my-iphone.html

if its turned on this will enable you to lock the device set a warning tone etc that cant be turned off till pin is entered .. but you will need to have connected to a valid itunes account

Nange wrote:

Thanks for the heads up! I live in Sliema and my elderly parents are here for a couple more weeks. My dad mentioned a couple days ago he's heard about elderly people being mugged. Easy to let your guard down here.


Malta has one of the lowest crime rates in the world... Don't think u need to worry your parents about being mugged... Obviously don't leave you valuables on the seat behind you... But mugged.. Not heard nothing and I'm in sliema.

g4jnw wrote:

take a look at find/track my iPad and see if it helps doesn't have to have a sim in, its wifi http://www.apple.com/uk/icloud/find-my-iphone.html


In short above can help recovery if mislaid, but not if stolen.

I looked at above and whist without GPS information, this feature could help locating your mislaid device if it was left say at a friends house or dropped behind a couch out of sight, it doesn't pinpoint it. It relies on having access to known WiFi networks (ones that have previously surfed the internet on therefore the device can automatically connect to without human intervention). Even then it can only report its location to within a radius of the Wifi router it was last connected to, not actually pinpoint it to an address it's located at. This feature can very easily be disabled by the thief. (I'm not going to explain that part). I hope all this doesn't sound too much technical gibberish.

Darrylmartin wrote:
Nange wrote:

Thanks for the heads up! I live in Sliema and my elderly parents are here for a couple more weeks. My dad mentioned a couple days ago he's heard about elderly people being mugged. Easy to let your guard down here.


Malta has one of the lowest crime rates in the world... Don't think u need to worry your parents about being mugged... Obviously don't leave you valuables on the seat behind you... But mugged.. Not heard nothing and I'm in sliema.


I also live in Sliema and out running or whatever a lot at all sort of hours. I've never heard, seen or felt unsafe walking home alone in Malta at any time of day or night. I would ask him who he heard that from; probably from other visitors who heard it from other visitors who....

Young tourists/English language students drinking too much and getting overexcited is probably a bigger safety risk after being hit by a car while the driver was too busy messing with his sound system and writing Whatsap messages. One should be vary of stepping on dog mess more than anything else in the streets of Sliema!

That just about covers it all. Have I left anything out? ;)

New Horizonz wrote:
Darrylmartin wrote:
Nange wrote:

Thanks for the heads up! I live in Sliema and my elderly parents are here for a couple more weeks. My dad mentioned a couple days ago he's heard about elderly people being mugged. Easy to let your guard down here.


Malta has one of the lowest crime rates in the world... Don't think u need to worry your parents about being mugged... Obviously don't leave you valuables on the seat behind you... But mugged.. Not heard nothing and I'm in sliema.


I also live in Sliema and out running or whatever a lot at all sort of hours. I've never heard, seen or felt unsafe walking home alone in Malta at any time of day or night. I would ask him who he heard that from; probably from other visitors who heard it from other visitors who....

Young tourists/English language students drinking too much and getting overexcited is probably a bigger safety risk after being hit by a car while the driver was too busy messing with his sound system and writing Whatsap messages. One should be vary of stepping on dog mess more than anything else in the streets of Sliema!

That just about covers it all. Have I left anything out? ;)


Hahahaha! Actually laughed out loud! Don't think u left anything out bud! Stepping in dogs mess lol that tickled me! Nice one 👍

Dam, i'm sorry, thought it may help, I've had MacBooks and iPads since they came out and am pretty savi technically but never had to use tracking etc, so not up to speed with the facility. Best way then is either hoping it will be found or claiming on your home insurance, my computers are covered but do insist on a police crime number.
My wife had her bag snatched in Spain but we ended up out of pocket am afraid.

It's really annoying how scum know that crime does pay.

Crime on Malta? very low. Crime on Gozo? Virtually unheard of.
However and particularly during the 'season' tourists on Malta are robbed by either other 'tourists' or and I have to say this as statistically it is correct, by Eastern European 'visitors'.
Pick pocketing is, unfortunately common especially on the buses and in bus queues in tourist areas on Malta.
Just take a common sense approach and remember you are still less likely to be a victim of crime here than other European countries.

My daughter and her friend went to bay street cinema underground parking. They were in her friends mothers car. Short story car was robbed new nil on camera and laptop Apple Mac which I had just bought her a monthb before so she could do a photography course nicked . Funny Cameras went working.

Again long story short start looking for sales of second hand I pads it's a small island my friend tried to buy a similar tom tom as the one also stolen from the car . Turned out to be his. He was buying from guess what the Maltese security guard from the underground car park next to the Spanish tapas bar. . So please search small ads advertise for na cheap I pad second hand . Or if you wee smart enough inform Apple Mac they b will disable the device remotely.

Good luck .

nothing with you.........nothing happens.Next time leave it at home..........The world is the same in every place,believe me.....

To find that a stolen item was being sold by someone who was charged to protect it doesn't surprise me.
Remember the Australian person's car that was impounded by Malta Customs being seen driven on the road, sold to the driver by Malta Customs? I bet there are so many similar tales to be told.

Problem is when the kids are then from school to go to movie they put everything in the boot of the car. In school bags. As they were still in school uniform the car was targeted as it had foreign plated. Beware if you have foreign plates. However I have been going to Malta since 1982 and its the first car theft which had happened to anyone in my family.  Nor have I experienced any violence. There had of course been a few shootings last year so do not be misguided that it is paradise island. Be aware.  There are many people living on the islands for other reasons than tourism.
many people with PTSD from Libya and Africa it makes people be have in desperate ways.

A lot of young girls wearing very little mixing with a community who see this as making yourself available . I have a 14 yrs old daughter and see the reactions of certain males to her while she even walks with me.

It's normal in the UK to be cautious but Malta people forget that there are those troubled souls around.
However 99% of everyone's experiences in Malta these days seem to be good. Enjoy the relaxed lifestyle .. swim drink and have fun.. but kee one eye open on your environment .. xxx

Hmm, Living with PTSD on Malta; not a good idea with all the fireworks!

i think that overall its still a safe place for family life..

There are a lot of thoughts in one direction. This might bring some balance:

Young black African male (MUSLIM) works at a Jewish shop in Paris!! (This draw my attention because I didn't believe that's possible)
He saves lives of Jewish customers by hiding them in the basement while shooting in progress. He then risked his own life further: goes out to raise the alarm.....

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-30847333

He is recognised for his bravery and awarded French nationality!!

Life is harsh in Africa; culture and mentalities aren't the same but not everyone looking a certain way is a criminal..

The fire works are actually an interesting phenomenon for a country which was so badly bombed during the war. A large % of the fireworks are just designed to replicate explosions.

Having a great number now of refugees from Libya which fought on both sides of the conflict it is I'm sure a nightmare for the intelligence agency there.  Seeing Bentley convertibles being driven by teenagers  with baseball caps on back to front is a bit unusual to say the least.  However the number plates are all Libyan so money does not seem a problem for many of them.

I do see future problems for the country though as the situation 180 miles away deteriorates and more barbaric atrocities affect the families of those in Malta seeking refuge.

However the Maltese people are if nothing resilient and I don't think they will stand for any Libyan conflict on the Islands.  I hope and I'm confident the Maltese will come down on them hard.


I watch with interest as a former British Military person having worked 5 yrs in Afghanistan 2 yrs in Iraq and a great number of years in Pakistan. drink yer coffee and watch ... the world go past in Valletta great place to see the global diaspora shopping.

Please don't get me wrong there is no accusation of any anti Islamic issue here as I said the thieves who stole my daughters bag were Maltese security guards, although they said it was a Romanian gang working the area.. everyone is quick to blame others, asa I recall in Mallieha two years ago an English lad stole a bag from a chair in the bar and unfortunately for him the cameras did work and someone knew him .. so the young language student had his bag returned as a Maltese lad I know went round to the English guys house and   adjusted his attitude while recovering the bag.

Job done.

an interesting term  - ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT!!!!

Quote '' A large % of the fireworks are just designed to replicate explosions.''

I wondered what they did.  :whistle:

Here in particular, they replicate cannon fire and musket fire used as a means of welcome and/or celebration.
They have been around for a lot longer than WW2

Toon wrote:

an interesting term  - ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT!!!!


'Reality check' and 'reality therapy' are phrases and techniques I often used in the Forces and Youth Justice  ;)

New Horizonz wrote:
Darrylmartin wrote:
Nange wrote:

Thanks for the heads up! I live in Sliema and my elderly parents are here for a couple more weeks. My dad mentioned a couple days ago he's heard about elderly people being mugged. Easy to let your guard down here.


Malta has one of the lowest crime rates in the world... Don't think u need to worry your parents about being mugged... Obviously don't leave you valuables on the seat behind you... But mugged.. Not heard nothing and I'm in sliema.


I also live in Sliema and out running or whatever a lot at all sort of hours. I've never heard, seen or felt unsafe walking home alone in Malta at any time of day or night. I would ask him who he heard that from; probably from other visitors who heard it from other visitors who....

Young tourists/English language students drinking too much and getting overexcited is probably a bigger safety risk after being hit by a car while the driver was too busy messing with his sound system and writing Whatsap messages. One should be vary of stepping on dog mess more than anything else in the streets of Sliema!

That just about covers it all. Have I left anything out? ;)


couldn't agree more I once walked home from Marsa to Birzebuggia at 3am and felt a lot safer than doing that in the UK