MORE than a dozen heavily armed men sprung a bold highway heist on Saturday, intercepting a cash-in-transit (CIT) vehicle, blowing it open with explosives and walking away with a huge haul of cash.
Innocent motorists became part of a shoot-out drama when the heist took place with military precision at around 7.30am on the R66 between Ulundi and Nongoma.
Captain Nkosie Gwala, spokesperson for Ulundi SAPS said four people, believed to be security personnel and an off-duty policeman, were shot during the attack and are receiving treatment at Ngwelezana Hospital.
A number of firearms were taken, including the 9mm pistol of the policeman, a 9mm pistol belonging to an RTI officer and three rifles taken from the security guards.
‘The suspects shot at the Fidelity Security vehicle, forcing the driver to come to a stop,’ said Captain Gwala.
According to officers later on scene, the suspects stopped cars travelling in both directions, forcing the occupants to exit and lie on the road while others worked on placing explosives to blast open the roof of the CIT vehicle.
An RTI officer conducting routine patrols stopped, thinking it was an accident scene, only to be accosted and threatened by the suspects, who reportedly wielded AK47 and standard police issue R5 rifles.
A case of armed robbery and attempted murder was opened with Ulundi SAPS.
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