Durban - Two cash-in-transit (CIT) heist suspects are expected to appear in the Estcourt Magistrate’s Court today after they were arrested by the Hawks for a CIT heist earlier this month.
Hawks spokesperson Brigadier Nomthandazo Mbambo said that on Wednesday, June 8, three security officers travelling in an armoured vehicle were allegedly ambushed by eight men on the R103 outside Estcourt.
“Suspects allegedly opened fire on the guards and robbed them of their official firearms. They then tried to blow open the cash van but couldn’t access the money and only a small amount of money was damaged due to the explosion,” Mbambo said.
“The two injured security guards were referred to the hospital for treatment.”
Mbambo said that the following day, on June 9, the Pietermaritzburg DPCI National Priority Crimes Investigation, Pietermaritzburg Bomb Squad and K9, DPCI Provincial Tracing team and National Intervention Unit Field team operationalised information received and arrested two suspects in the Estcourt area.
“(A) preliminary investigation led to a house of another suspect where exhibits suspected to have been used in other CIT-related crimes were found and seized. The said suspect is still sought by the police,” Mbambo said.
“The two suspects will appear in the Estcourt Magistrate’s Court today.”
Meanwhile, DA uThukela District Constituency Head Alf Lees said the third suspect was a high-ranking politician in a local municipality in the province.
Lees said the two suspects had pointed out the politician’s house as the place where the CIT was planned. The politician followed the vehicle that was ambushed on the day the CIT took place.
He said that apparently law enforcement was unable to find the politician but seized the following from his house:
- A 308 rifle, also suspected to have been used in other CIT heists;
- 17 x 308 calibre live rounds;
- Explosives of some sort; and
- Cash that had been damaged by an explosion.
Lees said the politician was now a fugitive and must hand himself over to the police without delay.
Lees said the DA called upon him to resign as he was a fugitive from the law.
He said that if he failed to resign by Wednesday the DA would submit a motion of no confidence in him in his role in the municipality, as well as calling for the motion to be dealt with in an urgent special council meeting.
Lees also said that the political party the politician is affiliated with must act decisively and suspend his party membership and also support the DA’s motion of no confidence.
Daily News