Police have launched a manhunt for robbers who forced a cash--in-transit vehicle off the road on the KZN North Coast on Wednesday afternoon.
KZN police spokesperson, Brigadier Jay Naicker said the incident took place on the R74 towards Maphumulo after lunch.
“It is alleged that an unknown group of men travelling in a bakkie opened fire on the cash-in-transit vehicle and forced the vehicle off the road.
“The suspects were armed and held up the security officers before robbing them of their firearms.
“The suspects then blew up the safe in the vehicle and escaped with an unknown amount of cash.”
Naicker said a case of armed robbery and attempted murder are being investigated by KwaDukuza SAPS.
“A multidisciplinary manhunt for the perpetrators is currently under way.”
Lieutenant-General Godfrey Lebeya, the national head of the DPCI (also known as the Hawks) said cash-in-transit heists continue to be a problem in our country.
“The DPCI in collaboration with private organisations continues to strengthen the fight against these crimes. The CIT robbers are ruthless and do not care about the lives of bystanders,“ said Lebeya during the presentation of the fourth quarter statistics.
He said during the fourth quarter of the 2023/24 financial year, 51 cases of CIT robberies were reported.
Twenty people were arrested and 15 convictions were secured.
Citing one the cases, two men were convicted in the Eastern Cape High Court in February this year for CIT robberies in March 2022.
Lwando Ntiyantiya, 36, and Nkosekhaya Lloyd, 38, were found guilty on four counts of robbery with aggravating circumstances, murder, three counts of attempted murder, three counts of unlawful possession of a firearm, and unlawful possession of ammunition. They were sentenced to two life terms of imprisonment and 216 years.
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