Durban — Two suspects are expected to appear in court after they were arrested for a cash-in-transit heist which took place in KwaDukuza, north of Durban.
The two are charged with the cash-in-transit heist, attempted murder, malicious damage to property and contravention of the Explosives Act.
Hawks provincial spokesperson Captain Simphiwe Mhlongo said that on Thursday, August 4, Hawks members from the Durban Serious Organised Crime Investigation Unit and Ethekwini Trio Task Team arrested a 45-year-old suspect for a cash-in-transit heist which happened at KwaDukuza.
Mhlongo said that the incident happened on July 25, 2022, at about 3.35pm when a cash van was driving from KwaMaphumulo towards KwaDukuza.
“Whilst passing at the Jim store, the suspects fired several shots towards the cash van and pushed it off the road. Security guards were robbed of their service pistols and explosives were used to blow open the cash van. The suspects made off with an undisclosed amount of cash. Their getaway vehicles were later found abandoned near Kranskop,” Mhlongo said.
He said that last week, members arrested the first suspect aged 31 at Mandeni and the second one was arrested on Thursday at Richmond Farm in Ntuzuma.
“They are both charged for the cash-in-transit heist, attempted murder, malicious damage to property and contravention of the Explosives Act,” Mhlongo said.
He said that both suspects are expected to appear in the KwaDukuza Magistrate’s Court on Monday.
“More arrests are expected,” Mhlongo added.
Meanwhile, three days earlier, a suspect was arrested following a foiled cash-in-transit robbery at The Atrium, Overport, in Durban
Social media reports indicated that one suspect was shot, and another fled the scene in a vehicle after they tried to rob a cash-in-transit vehicle.
National police spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Robert Netshiunda said: “It is reported that a cash-in-transit security guard was walking to the cash truck when he was approached by the suspect who showed him a firearm. Approximately at the same time, a gunshot allegedly went off outside the mall, and the suspect ran toward a Toyota Etios, which sped towards Overport Drive.
“The eThekwini District Task Team intervened and managed to arrest one suspect and recovered two firearms.”
According to an audio clip circulating on social media, believed to be from the incident, someone can be heard reporting that “members, we are under fire, we are under fire. However the suspect fled, we catch him with a firearm, he was shooting at us.”
At the start of July, a Fidelity Services Group cash-in-transit vehicle driver was shot dead on Monday in a botched heist attempt.
National police spokesperson Colonel Athlenda Mathe said KZN police had launched a manhunt for a group of suspects after a 38-year-old Fidelity security guard was killed during a cash-in-transit robbery in the Njunga area.
“According to reports, the Fidelity cash guards were driving to a business premises to conduct their daily duties of collecting and dropping off money when they were attacked with a hail of bullets by a group of unknown heavily armed men who were travelling in a bakkie,” Mathe said.
“The security guard of the cash van lost control and veered into a river.
“It was later found that the driver had succumbed to gunshot wounds. The suspects fled the scene,” Mathe continued.
She said the vehicle used by the suspects was later found abandoned between Kokstad and uMzimkhulu.
Mathe said police are investigating charges of cash in transit robbery, murder and attempted murder.
Daily News