BREAKING NEWS: CIT heist leaves three suspects dead in Bushbuckridge

MBOMBELA –  The armed robbery happened in Bushbuckridge this morning. Police spokesman Brig Vish Naidoo said while a group of armed robbers were busy offloading money from the Fidelity cash van outside the post office where they had held the security officers hostage, police arrived at the scene.

Members of the SAPS’ Limpopo and Mpumalanga tracking teams and Bushbuckridge Tactical Response responded. The police teams intercepted the suspects, leading to a high-speed chase and a shootout between the suspects and the police. A source close to the investigation stated that police only started firing after the suspects shot into a taxi rank.

Three suspects were shot and killed, another two who were shot and wounded have been transported to a nearby health facility under police guard.

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“An unknown number of suspects fled the scene in a Toyota Hilux and a silver Mercedes Benz after they forcefully stopped passersby and hijacked them. The Toyota Hilux was later recovered abandoned near Hazyview.”
In the process, police managed to recover some of the stolen money, two pistols and three vehicles, which include the hijacked Toyota Hilux, a Ford Ranger and Toyota Fortuna used by the suspects. The latter two were later found to be fitted with false registration number plates.

“It is unfortunate that during the shootout a policeman sustained a gunshot wound. The member has been taken to the nearest health facility, where he is receiving medical treatment.”

Police have also notified the health department to be on the lookout for a suspect or suspects with gunshot wounds who could seek medical help, as the hijacked Toyota Hilux was found with bloodstains.

The SAPS national commissioner, General Khehla Sitole, has wished the member in hospital a speedy recovery and thanked the teams for their bravery and swift action. He has also ordered the implementation of the 72-hour activation plan to mobilise all resources in a bid to apprehend the remaining suspects.

Sitole is also calling on communities to assist the work and investigation of the police into this matter.

Therefore, members of the public are further forewarned that harbouring criminals is a criminal offence. If found hiding or assisting these suspects in any way, they too would be guilty of a crime.

Meanwhile, a suspect died and another was wounded in an attempted cash-in-transit heist near the local Magistrate’s Court in Boschfontein on Thursday morning.

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According to Wahl Bartmann, the CEO of Fidelity Services Group, a group of around eight armed suspects in three cars opened fire on one of their vehicles at a T-junction.

The officers returned fire and fatally wounded one of the drivers. The driver lost control of the car and hit a tree.
Another suspect was critically injured.

The suspects abandoned one of the vehicles and fled on foot.

No cash was stolen.

Police found empty cartridges, illegal AK-47s, live ammunition and cellphones in the car. Investigators later also found that it was fitted with false number plates.

Bartmann commended the officers on their bravery and said Fidelity is working closely with the SAPS in their investigation.

The Department of Health was notified to be on the lookout for and to report the gunshot victim, as he would have had to seek medical assistance somewhere in the province.

The national police commissioner, Gen Khehla Sithole, lauded the security officials for their bravery when faced with dangerous criminals. He instructed that the 72-hour activation plan of mobilising resources and various law enforcement agencies be implemented to track down the suspects.

Police urged members of the public to come forward with any information that could lead to the suspects’ arrest. People can contact the SAPS hotline on 08600-1011 – their identity will be kept confidential. Callers can also remain anonymous.
Community members were warned that hiding or assisting criminals is a crime and that they would be arrested if police found out what they were doing.