Suspected heist claims three lives

Guards escaped injury in Pretoria last night

Three people were killed and another three wounded in separate suspected cash-in-transit heists in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng yesterday.

Rescue Care spokesman Garrith Jamieson said paramedics had responded to a shooting on the M13‚ near the Paradise Valley interchange in Durban yesterday.

Police said they were still combing the scene and did not have more information about the incident at the time of publication last night.

Two weeks ago, four gunmen died following a shootout with police on the N2 near Riverhorse Valley.

Members of the Hawks and the elite National Intervention Unit intercepted the gang as they were allegedly on their way to commit a house robbery.

According to a well-placed police source officials intercepted their car‚ a white Mercedes-Benz‚ and a shootout ensued. They veered into oncoming traffic.

In Pretoria, two security guards escaped injury last night in an alleged cash-intransit heist on the R80 Bremer Bridge in Suiderberg‚ paramedics said.

ER24 spokesman Russel Meiring said it was believed that the men had been attacked by an unknown number of gunmen.

“Several shots had been fired‚ but fortunately‚ no one sustained any injuries. Local authorities were on the scene for further investigations‚” Meiring said.

He said ER24 paramedics were called to the scene and arrived at 6.30pm.

“On scene‚ paramedics found a cash-intransit vehicle parked in the middle of the road. Two security guards were found walking around on the scene.

“Paramedics assessed both patients and found that they had escaped injury‚” Meiring said. No further details were immediately available.

A task team has been set up to probe a spate of robberies at service stations across Port Elizabeth – with one arrest already made. Since Wednesday, five service stations were robbed, some within hours of the others.

Captain Andre Beetge confirmed that a 37-year-old had been arrested in connection with the latest heist in Motherwell. –