Durban — The Cash-in-Transit Association of South Africa (CITASA) has seen a steady increase in incidents of cash delivery truck robberies since October 2022.
Head of CITASA Grant Clark said that the organisation knew that these incidents tend to spike towards the festive season, as has been seen by the number of cash-in-transit (CIT) heists that happen during this period throughout the country.
This comes after a gang of unidentified CIT heist robbers attacked and blew up a cash delivery truck on Malandela Road, KwaMashu, on Wednesday morning and, in the process, three people were injured and rushed to hospital with minor to serious injuries.
In another similar incident, a cash delivery vehicle was attacked in Folweni on Tuesday, in which a security guard was shot dead, and another rushed to hospital with a gunshot wound to the head.
“We see an increase of +8% year on year, from January to September 2023, versus those incidents that happened in 2022 in CIT robberies. This indicates that the CIT robberies increased since the third quarter of 2023.
“After the successes of the SAPS during September, CIT robberies nationally decreased by 23%, from August to September 2023”.
Clark further added that the CIT robberies tended to increase towards the festive season.
He, therefore, encouraged members of society to report any suspicious activities to the SAPS.
“At 32% of heists just this year alone, Gauteng is the province with the highest incidents of CIT robbery for 2023 year-to-date, followed by the Eastern Cape, with 23%, KwaZulu-Natal, with 16%, Limpopo at 11% and Mpumalanga, with 9%.
“Nationally, 59% of the CIT robberies in 2023 year-to-date are directed at the armoured vehicles, and 31% are cross pavement attacks,” Clark added.
Clark said that three cash-in-transit heists, or vehicle on road robberies, were reported in the KwaMashu area for 2023 year-to-date.
He added that what was of concern was the violence that was used by the perpetrators during these robberies.
He stated that the perpetrators used high calibre firearms and explosives when carrying out these attacks.
According to Clark, CIT robbers attack armoured vehicles on busy highways and main roads, especially during the late afternoon and early morning before 8.
“High risk days for these attacks in KwaZulu-Natal are Mondays and Wednesdays.
Large groups of more than 15 perpetrators, armed with high calibre firearms and travelling with high performance vehicles, attack CIT vehicles, and do not hesitate to randomly fire shots to bring the armoured vehicles to a standstill.
“They then use explosives in an attempt to gain access to the armoured vehicle. Because of this modus operandi several injuries and fatalities have been reported amongst CIT employees, members of the public, SAPS and perpetrators.
Clark echoed his warning to those members of communities who rush to loot the CIT robbery crime scenes, saying that these were of great concern because these individuals were at serious risk of being fatally wounded by explosives that had not detonated on the scene.
He said that they were also committing a crime by stealing cash from the crime scene and also destroying valuable evidence.
KZN police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda said the cash delivery vehicle was accosted by the suspects reportedly travelling in at least two vehicles.
“The suspects overpowered three security guards and allegedly robbed them of firearms before fleeing with an undisclosed amount of money.”
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