A Free State police officer was gunned down and another wounded following a cash-in-transit heist on the R57 near Sasolburg on Friday morning.
According to national police spokesperson Colonel Athlenda Mathe, at around 09:45 in the morning, a cash van was travelling along the R57 from Vanderbijlpark towards Sasolburg when it was attacked by a group of heavily armed men.
Two police officers responded to the robbery, and upon arrival at the scene, they were confronted by armed robbers who opened fire on them.
“A police officer in his 30s was fatally shot and declared dead on the scene. A second officer was wounded and was treated on the scene, before he and other three security officers were transported to the nearest hospital.
“The suspects fled the scene with an undisclosed amount of money in a white Toyota Fortuner and a red Hyundai SUV,” Mathe said.
The national commissioner of police, General Khehla John Sitole, has directed the provincial commissioner of the Free State to activate the 72-hour activation plan to find the suspects.
Police are requesting help from anyone who witnessed the robbery or knows the whereabouts of the suspects to report to their nearest police station or call the Crime Stop number on 086-00-10111.
IOL