'Armed response robber' hands himself over

Police have arrested one of the men who allegedly robbed Hollywoodbets, in Walmer Boulevard, dressed up as an armed response officer earlier in April.

The robbery took place on April Fool’s day when two men, dressed in ADT uniforms with bulletproof vests and firearms, entered the sports betting  outlet claiming to respond to an alarm.

The cashier at the premises opened the door to explain that the alarm was not activated and was then threatened by the suspects.

The men fled on foot after the robbery, but it is suspected a getaway vehicle was parked nearby.

Police spokesperson Captain Johan Rheeder said at 8.30am on Tuesday a 33-year-old man handed himself over to police at the Bethelsdorp police station.

"During the investigation, the security company assisted the investigating officer to identify one of the suspects," he said.

Rheeder said the two men had been on the run since the robbery with  several previous attempts to catch them, having failed.

He declined to elaborate which security company assisted the police and whether the suspects were in fact formerly employed as armed response officers. 

The suspect will appear in the Port Elizabeth magistrate's court on Wednesday for the armed robbery.