Two young men were held up in strikingly similar circumstances in Gzira and Sliema on Tuesday night, the police reported.

In the Gzira theft, an 18-year-old Libyan was walking along Ponsomby Street when he was approached by a person who allegedly held a “cutting and pointed instrument” and asked for money.

The thief got away with cash amounting to under e100, the police said.

In the Sliema theft, a 21-year-old man from Mosta was walking along The Strand when he was approached by a person who allegedly held an iron object in the hand. Money was demanded and the aggressor ran away with money amounting to less than e200.

The police said the victim was certified to be suffering from an emotional stroke but he showed no signs of violence.