Two more cash robberies make it over 160 this year

THE spate of cash-in-transit (CIT) heists has reached alarming levels as two more brazen robberies were carried out in the streets of Gauteng yesterday.

These incidents bring the number of CIT robberies to more than 160 since the beginning of the year.

Last year 378 of these robberies were carried out.

The current figure translates to more than one heist committed per day since January.

Joburg woke up to news of a gang robbery in Atlas Road in Boksburg, Ekurhuleni, which was followed by another alleged attack in Dobsonville, Soweto, five hours later.

One person was shot dead in the Boksburg robbery while six suspects were arrested in Soweto.

Atlas Road has been described as a high risk area for CIT vehicles following yesterday’s incident which was the second in two months.

The combination of the road’s lack of surveillance cameras and the nearby G4S cash depot have made the area attractive to would-be-robbers.

At about 6am yesterday, a group of armed men driving in different vehicles stopped a cash van.

A gun battle erupted between the robbers and the guards. One suspect was shot dead and three people were wounded.

Philani Khumalo, a taxi driver, said one suspect threw what appeared to be an explosive under the van.

“I was at the traffic light when three men stopped and threw something that looked like an explosive under the cash van.

“I tried to get out of the taxi and run away, but one of the suspects told me to lie down,” he said.

Khumalo, who was transporting taxi commuters to work, said after a few minutes he heard gun shots and a woman crying for help.

Paramedics arrived soon after and found a woman in a taxi with a gunshot wound.

She was in a serious condition. Paramedics also found two security guards who were injured.

Two of the security guards sustained gunshot wounds to their feet.

In Soweto, at least six suspects were arrested in a foiled heist in Dobsonville.

Brigadier Vish Naidoo said the police were investigating the incident.

The van was filling up cash in one of the ATMs when an explosive went off.

“It wasn’t a heist. It was an attempted robbery. No money was taken. The suspects have been arrested.

“We are still trying to verify whether the suspects were trying to rob the cash transit vehicle or the ATM. We are still trying to verify the involvement of the suspects because some were trying to steal money when the explosive went off.

“We are not sure whether it is the ATM or the vehicle that exploded. A security guard was injured. People ran and took money. We are not sure whether those arrested tried to rob the van or came to take the money.”

‘I heard gun shots and a wounded woman crying for help in a taxi’