A 37-YEAR-OLD man has been jailed for 18 years for a cash in transit robbery committed in the Somkhele area in Mtubatuba, KwaZulu-Natal.
Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks) spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Simphiwe Mhlongo said the.Mtubatuba Regional Court sentenced Sibongiseni Mkhwanazi on Thursday.
Mhlongo said on February 3, 2020, security guards were travelling from Nongoma to Richards Bay when they were ambushed by Mkhwanazi and his accomplices.
They fired shots at the cash van until the driver stopped.
“They then robbed the security guards of their service firearms before using explosives to blow open the cash van,” he said.
The robbers fled the scene with an undisclosed amount of cash.
“A cash in transit heist case was reported at the KwaMsane police station and the case docket was allocated to the Hawks members from Richards Bay Serious Organised Crime Investigation. Mkhwanazi was arrested the following week,” said Mhlongo.
Mkhwanazi’s bank accounts were frozen due to suspicious transactions. “The cash deposited into the account will be forfeited to the state.”
According to Mhlongo, Hawks members recovered the stolen vehicle that was used during the heist.
“Mkhwanazi was found guilty and was sentenced to 18 years imprisonment for three counts of robbery with aggravating circumstances.
“He was further sentenced to seven years imprisonment for two counts of attempted murder, five years imprisonment for money laundering and three years imprisonment for possession of stolen vehicle. His sentences will run concurrently,” said Mhlongo.