Two men were arrested by the police in connection with two robberies that took place within a space of 9 hours.

In the first incident, two men armed with a knife made off with an undisclosed amount of cash from an outlet in Sliema early on Wednesday, the police said.

The hold-up took place in the Strand, Sliema, at 2am.

Two men armed with a knife entered the shop and demanded money from the cashier, a 25-year-old man from Nepal.

They then made off with the cash and other objects, the police said.

In the course of their investigations, the police were notified that another robbery had taken place from an outlet in Tal-Balal Road, San Gwann, at 11.30am.

Two men had entered the shop, armed with a knife, and demanded money from the cashier, making off in a red Toyota Ractis. The car was the same one that was used in the Sliema robbery.

Officers noticed the car being driven in Hamrun, and it was stopped in Mountbatten Street, with the driver, a Maltese man aged 42 from Birzebbuga, being arrested on the site.

Further investigations led to the arrest of the second man, a 37-year-old Libyan who resides in Sliema.

Magistrate Joseph Mifsud is leading an inquiry.