Two hundred and two cash-in-transit (CIT) suspects have been arrested, 104 firearms and 178 high-performance vehicles recovered since the establishment of the National CIT Task Team in 2020.
The national commissioner of the SAPS, Gen Khehla Sitole, has commended the relentless efforts of the national task team established to prevent and combat aggravated robberies, in particular, CIT heists in five provinces for continuously making inroads in stamping the authority of the state.
The commissioner’s remarks follow the latest breakthrough, where two more suspects were arrested in Rosettenville on February 21, bringing the total number of those arrested to 10.
The pair were part of at least 25 suspects who were allegedly on their way to commit a CIT robbery when they were intercepted by a multidisciplinary team led by the National CIT Task Team in Moffat View precinct.
Various policing disciplines worked tirelessly throughout the night, combing the scene, where the team cornered the group of heavily armed suspects. During the ordeal, eight suspects were shot and killed, 10 suspects were arrested, two of which are under police guard in hospital. The team also seized 10 high-performance vehicles at an identified address and six AK-47 machine guns, three rifles and explosives.
On February 22, the provincial police commissioner, Lt-Gen Elias Mawela, visited the injured members in the hospital. Three members of the SAPS were shot and wounded during the attack. In addition, a JMPD officer was also among the wounded officers. One member from the SAPS has since been discharged and others are still receiving medical treatment. The provincial commissioner has confirmed the health of the injured members has since improved and all affected are in high spirits.
Since its establishment in February 2020, the team, which is led by a female commander, has been responsible for the arrest of 202 suspects that have been linked to CIT related crimes, 13 of these suspects are among the country’s top 13 most wanted criminals who have been involved in a spate of aggravated robberies. To date, 178 high-performance vehicles that were mostly hijacked have been recovered, as well as 104 firearms, which include 59 pistols and 48 rifles, were seized during arrests.
To complement this team, the Directorate Priority for Crime Investigations (Hawks) established a task team also in February 2020 to specifically focus on CIT investigations, which form part of its mandate. The team has a broader focus and extends its work to apprehend all identified suspects in CIT and CIT-related cases.
The national commissioner has commended all involved for a show of force and asserting the authority of the state.
“The multidisciplinary team, comprising the National CIT Task Team, Crime Intelligence, members of the SAPS Airwing, the Tactical Response Teams (TRT), K9, JMPD, EMPD, Gauteng Highway Patrol well as RTMC, ought to be commended for their hard work and dedication in pursuing these criminals in the latest breakthrough. This latest incident ought to send a clear message to all criminals that we are coming for all of them and that there is no longer a space for criminals to operate freely in South Africa. I also take this opportunity to wish all injured a speedy recovery,” said Sitole.
While a manhunt is still underway to apprehend the remaining suspects, a call is being made for these suspects to hand themselves over to their nearest police station. Members of the public who have information on the whereabouts of these suspects are also encouraged to contact their nearest police station or call the Crime Stop Hotline on 08600 10111.
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