The gun battle took place in Germiston on Saturday morning. Picture: iStock
A gang of suspected cash-in-transit (CIT) robbers have been killed in shootout with police on the East Rand in Gauteng.
The gun battle took place in the Germiston CBD, Ekurhuleni on Saturday morning.
It is understood the shoot-out happened when police approached the suspected robbers as they attempted to rob the CIT vehicle.
Police said a multi-disciplinary team comprising of Saps anti-gang unit, the Gauteng Traffic Police airwing and tactical response among other law enforcement agencies received information about the heist.
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Police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Mavela Masondo said as law enforcement officials approached the area, a lookout was established for the robbers vehicle after the armed robbery of a G4S cash van.
“Members started looking for suspects’ vehicle and spotted it driving recklessly. Members attempted to stop the suspects and they immediately started shooting at the members. Members returned fire and suspects’ vehicle lost control thus crashing into a pole.
“Six suspects were fatally wounded and another suspect in serious condition. An AK 47 rifle, four handguns and the cash trolley have been recovered. The vehicle that the suspects were using has been identified as stolen in Brooklyn,” Masondo said.
Gauteng Police Commissioner Tommy Mthombeni said the shootout is only the beginning of police’s intensified approach to crime prevention in the province.
“We must just warn these criminals, as I’ve indicated on the media space, that if they don’t stop whatever they are doing, they will feel like they are sitting on top of the fire.
“They have to take note to whomever is planning to carry out a crime within this province, they will feel the heat, as we know that some of them are daring. So, we are up for them, and we’ll meet them on the streets,” Mthombeni said.
Last week police minister Senso Mchunu revealed that the number of cash-in-transit (CIT) heists in KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape and Gauteng are still a concern.
Mchunu announced the quarterly crime statistics which reflect on crimes that occurred during the last quarter of the previous financial year (1 January 2024 – 31 March 2024) as well as the first quarter.
Mchunu said while there are concerns, the overall number CIT heists has reduced.
“We will be meeting with various cash in transit companies to discuss measures aimed at curbing this crime,” Mchunu said.
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