The group size of the perpetrators is becoming bigger and they do not hesitate to use violence because the crime is lucrative and there is a limited risk of being apprehended.
Head of the Cash-In-Transit Association of SA (CITASA) Grant Clark made this statement after a heist in Mobeni, near Chatsworth, in Durban and KwaDabeka, both on Wednesday.
In KwaDabeka, an undisclosed sum of money was stolen on Wednesday evening, leaving a CIT vehicle in pieces.
It was initially reported that four guards were injured after a well-orchestrated attack by armed robbers.
They used high-performance vehicles to block off traffic and forced the CIT van to a standstill. Shots were then fired by the robbers.
The report also noted that the robbers had explosives and detonated the van.
Through all this chaos, they managed to leave with multiple black bags of money.
Police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda said that the police were on the lookout for the suspects.
Netshiunda said that the suspects had abandoned a silver Mercedes-Benz at the scene and preliminary police investigations confirmed that the vehicle was reported stolen in Malvern in May last year.
“It is reported that the suspects fired several shots at the cash-in-transit vehicle until it came to a standstill. An undisclosed amount of money was reportedly stolen, as well as three firearms belonging to the guards. No one was reported injured during the incident,” said Netshiunda.
In Chatsworth, a guard was shot in the arm in an attempted CIT heist on Wednesday morning.
The CIT vehicle arrived at a petrol station to collect cash when the incident occurred.
Clark said that he was alerted to the robbery, which occurred in Mobeni on Tuesday morning, involving eight assailants.
CITASA monitors all cash-in-transit robberies in South Africa daily and is the voice of the CIT Industry.
Collaboration between different role-players to curb cash-in-transit robberies is commended, said Clark.
“Cash-in-transit robbery incidents, when perpetrators attack the crew when conducting services at clients, are on the increase. The group size of these perpetrators is becoming bigger. They do not hesitate to use violence during these cross-pavement attacks and the risk of injuring innocent bystanders is of concern,” Clark said.
He said that willing offenders regarded cash-in-transit robbery as a lucrative crime, with limited risk of being apprehended.
“The association is deeply concerned about the increase in CIT robberies, hence our continuous collaboration with different role-players, including the SAPS, to bring this crime down. The loss of life, injuries and financial implications are some of the consequences suffered not only by the CIT industry but also by South Africa as a country,” concluded Clark.
