A man was arrested by police a mere 90 minutes after he allegedly robbed a shop in Floriana on Wednesday.

Police said in a statement on Thursday that they were alerted to a theft from a shop in Triq San Tumas in Floriana at around 1:30pm on Wednesday.

Preliminary investigations by Valletta’s district police showed that a man entered the shop, snatched some money which was present on the shop counter and escaped the scene in a car.

The vehicle which the alleged thief used was identified, and a search in tandem with the Rapid Intervention Unit followed, with a man wearing the same clothes as the suspect was seen to be wearing in security camera footage being arrested at 3pm.

The man, a 58-year-old, was arrested in Triq San Guzepp in Valletta and is being held at the police’s lock-up in Floriana pending further investigations.

He is expected to be charged this afternoon before duty magistrate Yana Micallef Stafrace.