The Gauteng police will employ prisoners as their informers in their efforts to curb the scourge of cash-in-transit heists that have rocked the province in recent months.
This according to MEC for the Department of Community Safety, Sizakele Nkosi-Malobane who told the portfolio committee at a meeting held at the Gauteng Legislature on 8 June.
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The MEC was addressing the committee alongside the provincial commissioner Lieutenant-General Deliwe de Lange about their plans to address the scourge of heists in Gauteng.
Nkosi-Malobane said they want to employ informers who will share information and added that they will also recruit prisoners.
“We want to employ informers not only outside but also inside the prisons because some of these cash-in-transits are planned inside them,” said Nkosi-Malobane.
“We will also involve the Hawks [South Africa’s Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation] to use their networks and intelligence to help the police curb this crime.”
The MEC said they have had engagements with all the law enforcement agencies including traffic officers and cash-in-transit companies to find a solution. “We’ve also mobilised more than 7 000 police officers to fight this particular crime and we now have all the Metros and the traffic officers onboard to assist on the provincial and national roads.
“We also engaged the mining houses because the bombs used by these criminals are from the mines, so we encouraged them to reinforce their security,” she said.
From August last year until May this year, 74 cash-in-transit incidents were reported. Thirty of them were direct attacks while 44 were guards attacked on pavements while collecting or delivering cash.
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De Lange said they only had 11 successful cases citing 28 suspects being arrested adding that 24 of them were positively identified. “In total, we have identified 122 suspects involved in these crimes and that means that 55 are still on the run. So, you will understand why we cannot discuss our plan in public,” said De Lange. She said they have recovered nine AK47s, R4 and R5 rifles as well as one PM4 and 11 9mm firearms during the robberies.
“The total amount of money recovered is R95 million,” said the commissioner adding that they are winning the fight against cash-in-transit crimes. Both the MEC and the commissioner requested the committee to give them a month. “We’re getting somewhere.”
Details: South African Police Services 10111.
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