Guard burns to death in cash-in-transit heist

Published Nov 5, 2004

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A security guard was killed and five seriously injured when their cash-in-transit van caught fire during a heist near Heilbron on Friday, Free State police said.

Police spokesperson Captain Rosa Benade said the van caught fire after it was forced off the road and overturned about 20km from Heilbron on the road to Edenville at 7.20am.

The robbers made off with more than R1-million in cash taken from the second armoured car in the convoy.

The security guard, who could not be named until his next-of-kin had been informed, died on the scene. Four others were taken to Kroonstad Medi-Clinic with serious injuries, said Benade.

"The money in this vehicle (still in the safe) could not be obtained, as the vehicle was burning," she said.

She said two vans, with a total 10 guards, were on their way to Villiers for a pension pay-out. They were forced off the road by an unknown number of robbers travelling in a Volkswagen Citi Golf and a BMW.

The BMW - reported to have been hijacked in Garsfontein, Pretoria - and the Golf were later found abandoned on the road to Koppies.

Benade appealed to anyone with information to contact Captain Motaung at the Heilbron Police Station or phone the Crime-Stop number, 08600 10111. - Sapa

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