Explosives theft adds to heists
EASY access to explosives and corruption in the police system are among the reasons for a dramatic increase in cash-in-transit heists‚ a study has found.
Dr Mahlogonolo Thobane‚ who focuses on criminology‚ found that due to a lack of control in the mining sector‚ it was easy for robbers to access explosives for heists.
“The ramification of armed robberies is costing the banking and cash-in-transit industries vast amounts of money‚ not only in cash being stolen‚ but also due to money being spent on fighting this crime,” Thobane said.
“The expenditure of these industries on target hardening and surveillance measures is radically increasing as perpetrators become more professional and sophisticated.”
The 2014 study is titled “The criminal career of armed robbers with specific reference to cashin-transit robberies”.
On Wednesday, the Seshego Regional Court in Limpopo jailed mine workers for dealing in explosives.
Captain Matimba Maluleke from the Hawks said they could not rule out the possibility of there being a link between the dealers and the rise in cash-intransit heists since the crime was often operated by syndicates.
Emmanuel Molokoane and Thapelo Kekana were sentenced to 30 years’ imprisonment for dealing‚ supplying‚ possession and theft of explosives. Peter Tselanyane received a 15-year sentence for theft of explosives.
Maluleke said it was hoped that the sentences would send a strong message that those involved in the illegal supply of explosives would go to jail for a very long time. – TimesLIVE
THERE have been at least 152 cash-in-transit heists in South Africa since January.
According to the SA Banking Risk Information Centre (SABRIC), 68 vehicles were attacked on the road, more than three times as many as in the same period last year.
Yesterday, our sister paper the Sunday Times reported that at least 43 cash vehicles have been blown up and nine people have died in what Fidelity Cash Management Services chief executive Wahl Bartmann described as a war on our roads.
According to SABRIC, the heists have increased in almost every province compared to a year ago.
As a result, Police Minister Bheki Cele is pushing to have specialised police units deployed to crack down on the organised syndicates.
“Specialised units are in the barracks when we are under siege. No one will be in the barracks, they will be back on the roads,” Cele said.
His undertaking must be welcomed. So is the commitment to upskill and equip our men and women in blue.
However, that is only half the battle.
The biggest and perhaps more challenging task for Cele is to root out of the law enforcement systems corrupt cops who enable this kind of organised crime to flourish.
The appalling consequence of the leadership crisis in our police in recent years was the normalisation of corruption in its rank and file.
There can be no doubt that many of our police officers have demonstrated time and again their commitment to serve and protect with distinction.
However, there are also far too many whose dodgy dealings with criminal underworld figures have sabotaged efforts to fight crime.
They place enormous power in the hands of deadly thugs.
These are the people Cele must deal with if we are to win this war.