On Wednesday afternoon, a cash-in-transit vehicle was forced off the road on the R74 towards Maphumulo, KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), by a group of armed robbers.
The incident, described as a brazen and violent attack, involved the use of firearms to hinder the security officers before the robbers blew up the vehicle’s safe and made off with an undisclosed amount of cash.
According to Brigadier Jay Naicker, KZN police spokesperson, the assailants were travelling in a bakkie and opened fire on the cash-in-transit vehicle, forcing it off the road.
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The heavily armed suspects held up the security officers and robbed them of their firearms. After blowing up the safe, they escaped with the money.
Naicker confirmed that the KwaDukuza SAPS is investigating cases of armed robbery and attempted murder. A multidisciplinary manhunt is currently underway to apprehend the perpetrators.
Lieutenant-General Godfrey Lebeya, the national head of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI), also known as the Hawks, emphasized that cash-in-transit heists remain a significant issue in South Africa.
During the presentation of the fourth-quarter statistics for the 2023/24 financial year, Lebeya highlighted that 51 cases of cash-in-transit robberies were reported, resulting in the arrest of 20 individuals and 15 convictions.
Lebeya further cited a case where two men, Lwando Ntiyantiya and Nkosekhaya Lloyd, were convicted in the Eastern Cape High Court for multiple charges, including armed robbery, murder, and unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition.
They were sentenced to two life terms and an additional 216 years in prison.
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