Security, police injured in attempted CIT heist
THREE three suspects were arrested in Kayamandi, Stellenbosch after two people were injured during an attempt to rob a cash-in-transit vehicle in Macassar yesterday.
Police spokesperson Athlenda Mathe said a security guard and police official were injured when the suspects fired shots at them.
Mathe said five firearms as well as several vehicles were later seized in Stellenbosch. She said reports indicated several suspects attempted to rob an SBV vehicle at a shopping centre in Macassar at 11.40am yesterday.
“The armed suspects fired several shots at the cash-in-transit vehicle, injuring one security guard,” said Mathe.
Police were alerted and responded. She said while police were responding to the scene, they came under attack and one police officer was shot by the suspects, who were fleeing.
Mathe said police reinforcements consisting of local police, TRT and air support managed to track down the suspects at the Kayamandi taxi rank.
“Three AK-47 rifles and two other firearms were seized. Five vehicles were also seized. Two of the vehicles had been hijacked by the suspects as they fled the Macassar scene,” said Mathe.
This comes two weeks after a cash reward was offered to catch the culprits involved in a cash-in-transit heist in Gugulethu, during which one guard was killed and three others wounded.
SBV Services Group chief executive Mark Barrett said they could not comment further as an investigation was under way and they were co-operating with the police.
“We will not tolerate any attacks that place our employees lives at risk, and continue to work closely with the CIT industry and authorities to mitigate CIT crime,” said Barrett.
Community safety standing committee chairperson in the Western Cape Legislature Reagan Allen said they were deeply concerned by cashin-transit heist attempts.
“We are aware that between February 2019 and February 2020, 35 cases of cash-in-transit heists were reported countrywide, with the majority occurring in Gauteng over this period,” said Allen.
He said the figures highlighted that the police’s approach to cash-in-transit heists should be more effective, as crime intelligence should ideally be equipped with the latest technology to deal with the scourge. He said the unit should establish networks all over the country to gather information.