According to Capt Johannes Ramphora, Springs police spokesman, the three suspects parked their white Nissan Tiida in the parking area at a shopping centre in Seventh Street.
They entered the shopping centre and found a man from a cash in transit security company offloading boxes filled with cash.
Ramphora says the suspects pointed their guns at the security guard and took one box of cash and ran towards their vehicle with it.
They fled the scene in their vehicle but when they were at the corner of Third Avenue and Second Street, the box exploded.
“The three suspects got such a fright that they jumped out of the vehicle, leaving the cash and their vehicle behind,” says Ramphora.
The police arrived at the scene and found the vehicle and exploded box.
Ramphora says upon further investigation they found the vehicle had been hijacked in Yeoville, Johannesburg earlier this month.
No shots were fired and no arrests have been made.
The damaged cash box was returned to the security company.
