Four guards attacked by armed suspects during Mpumalanga CIT heist

A group of about 10 armed suspects have reportedly attacked four security guards who were driving in a cash van along the R40 Road in Dwarsloop near Bushbuckridge towards Acornhoek direction, on Friday.

Brigadier Selvy Mohlala, a white Mercedes Benz sedan driven by the suspects came driving towards the direction of Bushbuckridge.

“It is said that the sedan then went head-on to collide with the van belonging to Fidelity Security Company, which resulted in the vehicle losing control and overturned on the road. One of the security guards sustained some injuries,” said Mohlala.

“A group of armed suspects emerged to join the ones in the sedan then allegedly went on and overpowered as well as disarmed the security guards, taking their three rifles together with one handgun. Thereafter they reportedly detonated some explosives for about three times and took bags containing undisclosed amount of cash from the said van.

“It is further indicated that once they finished removing the bags, they torched the said Mercedes Benz which they were driving then fled the scene with the stolen items in a certain white bakkie which could not be fully described by the guards at the time.”

The injured guard was taken to hospital for medical treatment.

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Police are investigating the cash-in-transit robbery. No one has been arrested as yet.

In a separate incident, four suspects four suspects have been arrested by the Hawks’ Serious Organised Crime Investigation team following an investigation into a cash-in-transit heist that occurred on Friday, 12 August 2022, in the Nasrec area.

According to Captain Lloyd Ramovha, the driver of the cash-in-transit vehicle was driving along Nasrec Road with his crew when they suddenly found themselves under gun fire from unknown suspects. The driver reportedly managed to drive on until the cash van came to a standstill.

The suspects allegedly robbed the security guards of their cellphones and one firearm before fleeing the scene with an undisclosed amount of money.

The Johannesburg Flying Squad swiftly responded to the scene, and the fleeing suspects were spotted in three vehicles, BMW, Nissan Navarra and Toyota Fortuner.

ALSO READ: Police launch manhunt for suspects involved in Mpumalanga CIT heist

A gun battle ensued after the suspects shot at the police, four of the suspects, Vusumuzi Mosses Botile, 40, Sibongiseni Remember Hlengwa, 41, Mandlenkosi Freeman Zikhali, 42, Hector Sihle Buthelezi, 46, were fatally wounded.

Luyanda Mzizi, 30, was arrested on the scene, while Bongani Jele, 45, was arrested a fews day later.

The pair appeared in the Johannesburg Regional Court on 23 August 2022.

Two additional arrests of suspects aged 34 and 37 have been made and recovered unlicensed firearms.