Johannesburg: Police in Gauteng have arrested a suspect linked to a foiled cash-in-transit robbery, which took place in Dobsonville, Soweto, on Monday morning.
Police had launched a 72-hour activation pla,n after two cash-in-transit robberies took place on Monday morning in Gauteng.
In the first robbery, at about 9am, a security cash van was allegedly shot at by unknown suspects and the security officers duly retaliated. No money was taken.
A police car, which was in the vicinity, sustained bullet holes, but no police officer was injured, however, a member of the public sustained a gunshot wound during the crossfire.
The woman, police said, was taken to hospital for medical attention.
Police spokesperson Colonel Brenda Muridili said police arrested a suspect who was found with six rifles, a handgun and four vehicles.
“The police arrested one suspect and recovered six rifles and ammunition, as well as three vehicles. He will be appearing in court soon,” said Muridili.
In a separate cash-in-transit heist in Westonaria, which took place at around 11am, a security cash van, which had just collected cash from a supermarket, came under attack and was shot at by an unknown number of suspects, who managed to flee with money and fled on foot.
“The police recovered a handgun with ammunition, and a vehicle with a rifle with ammunition inside, a few metres away from the scene of crime.
“Cash-in-transit robberies are a priority to the SAPS.
“The management of the SAPS are currently aligning plans to curb this crime with the Safer Festive Season Operations that are being rolled out nationally.
“Safer Festive Season Operations were launched in Phuthaditjhaba, Free State, on October 30, 2020.
“The operations focuses on high visibility of members at crime hotspot areas,” said Muridili.
At the weekend, national police commissioner General Khehla Sitole launched a 72-hour activation plan, after a cash heist at Fidelity’s Guard Base, in Gauteng, on Saturday morning.
The robbery took place at the guard base in Hermanstad, Hercules, when a group of armed suspects, dressed in Fidelity’s uniform and balaclavas, stormed the premises and held the security guards at gunpoint.
Some employees were assaulted before they were robbed of an undisclosed sum of money.
Police said crime intelligence, forensic experts and the Hawks were part of the activation plan.
In a circulating WhatsApp message, which was purportedly sent by an officer from the scene, he said the value of the money stolen was about R30m.
The officer said the Fidelity guards were not armed, no shots were fired and nobody was injured in the ordeal.
Police spokesperson Colonel Brenda Murudili said no arrests had been made yet.
“The 72-hour activation plan is not a deadline to arrest the suspects. It is the given time that the police station, where the incident occurred, has in order to ensure that they mobilise all the necessary resources to investigate and trace the suspects. Resources include all the various specialised units, such as forensics, crime intelligence, and the Hawks,” she said.
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