By Phenyo Selinda
RUSTENBURG – A cash-in-transit (CIT) heist on the N4 near Marikana off-ramp has left the community shaken and law enforcement authorities on high alert. The incident, which occurred on Monday evening, 19 August 2024, involved a group of heavily armed suspects who ambushed a CIT truck, bombed it, and made off with an undisclosed amount of cash.
According to Brigadier Sabata Mokgwabone, spokesperson for the North West police, the security officers were traveling towards Rustenburg when a black Mercedes Benz rammed into their vehicle, forcing it off the road. The suspects, who were reportedly armed with high-caliber weapons, opened fire on the security officers before detonating explosives to breach the truck’s secure compartments.
The situation escalated when the suspects encountered a marked police vehicle while fleeing the scene. They exchanged gunfire with the police, fortunately, no injuries were reported. The suspects also engaged in a firefight with another security company’s personnel as they attempted to make their escape. The assailants then drove towards the K4 mine area but were forced to turn back, continuing to fire at the security officers as they did so.
A rifle with an obliterated serial number and 22 rounds of ammunition were recovered at the scene. However, the suspects managed to evade capture, and the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI), also known as the Hawks, has taken over the investigation.
This incident is the latest in a series of CIT heists in the Rustenburg area, raising concerns about the increasing violence and frequency of these attacks. The modus operandi of the suspects, involving high-speed chases, explosives, and high-powered firearms, highlights the growing sophistication and brazenness of these criminal groups.
In a related incident just a few days earlier, another CIT truck was targeted near Rustenburg, where a grey Jeep was used to ram the vehicle. Despite the use of explosives, the criminals were only able to make off with loose coins, further underscoring the heightened risk faced by cash-in-transit operators in the region.
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