Following an intelligence-led operation aimed at tracing suspects implicated in the Southgate cash-in-transit heist, Gauteng police made a significant breakthrough, leading them to a backroom in Mapetla, Soweto.
Southgate cash-in-transit heist: Firerms cache gives police major breakthrough
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The operation focused on investigating a daring daylight cash-in-transit heist that transpired near Southgate, Johannesburg, in close proximity to Xavier, which sent shockwaves through the community as a gang, heavily armed, audaciously executed the robbery amidst a blare of gunfire and explosions.
Upon reaching the identified address, police officers forced open a backroom where they discovered and seized two rifles, including an AK-47, magazines, and 71 rounds of ammunition.
These firearms have been submitted for ballistic testing to ascertain their connection to other CIT incidents and related robberies.
The raid also yielded balaclavas, handcuffs, beanies, protective shoes, and cash receipt slips from bank deposits, providing a glimpse into the preparedness and possibly the operational routine of the culprits involved.
The incident near Southgate, which unfolded on a Saturday, 7 October 2023, was a scene of orchestrated chaos as the gang, employing four vehicles, descended upon an armoured cash vehicle.
The harrowing event, which was caught on camera and has since circulated widely on social media, showcased terrified bystanders, with some astonishingly running towards the scattered cash amidst the mayhem, indicating the level of desperation or the brazenness that sometimes accompanies such chaotic scenes.
The relentless pursuit by the police led to the tracing of suspects believed to be part of a larger group comprising between 15 to 20 individuals.
“Members of the public are once again reminded that picking up money from CIT crime scenes is a crime and those found to be doing so can be charged with theft and defeating the ends of justice,” police spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe warned.