Cops in Cape Town have arrested suspects who blasted a cash-in-transit van on the N7 near Goodwood on Tuesday, 18 January afternoon.
Residents from the area and motorists who witnessed the heist shoved each other to pick up some of the banknotes that were scattered all over the place following the incident.
National police spokesman Lt Col Robert Netshiunda said one vehicle caught fire during the robbery and two people, a suspect, and the driver of the van were injured.
Explaining how the heist was executed, Netshiunda said a Jeep that was driving along the N7 stopped abruptly in the middle of the road, causing a light delivery vehicle to collide with the cash van.
The suspects allegedly used explosives to blow the safe open.
Netshiunda said members of the Durban National Intervention Unit responded to an incident where they exchanged fire with the robbers, one robber was injured during the shoot out and another injured himself with the explosives used to blow up the safe.
The security guard and the driver of the cash van also sustained gunshot injuries during the ordeal and were taken to the hospital for treatment.
“A 9mm pistol with ammunition was recovered at the scene. A total of four suspects, aged between 21 and 42 years old were arrested and will appear before the Goodwood Magistrates Court soon on charges of a cash-in-transit heist, attempted murder, illegal possession of firearm, and ammunition as well as possession of an explosive device,” Netshiunda added.
“A 72-hour activation plan has been instituted to hunt down other suspects who sneaked away from the scene with an undisclosed amount of money,” said Netshiunda.
Social media is awash of videos of people crowding the van for banknotes that were scattered all over the place on the road surface.
