MPUMALANGA police have launched a manhunt for a gang of tsotsis on the loose.
This is in connection with the attempted armed robbery of a cash truck driver and his crew member in a failed cash-in-transit heist.
The crew member has died.
The incident happened between Barberton and Badplaas on Saturday, 8 October.
The drama unfolded when the cash truck and its escort vehicle were accosted by a gang of tsotsis along the R38 route.
A shocked motorist said: “We spotted the gangsters’ two cars overtaking traffic ahead as they shot at the cash truck and its escort van, leading to a collision. The driver in the cash truck and his crew member were severely injured. The gangsters fled the scene after they failed to blow up the cash vehicle.”
Lieutenent-Colonel Robert Netshiunda confirmed that a cash delivery truck and an escort vehicle were accosted by an unknown number of suspects along the R38 route, leading to a collision between the suspects’ vehicles, the cash truck and its escort vehicle.
“Both the driver of the armoured vehicle and his crew member were injured during the impact and were rushed to hospital in a serious condition. The crew member later succumbed to his injuries at hospital. The suspects failed to steal the cash.
“Police recovered two vehicles which were suspected to have been used as getaway vehicles by the suspects. Preliminary investigations revealed that one of the recovered vehicles, a silver Mercedes-Benz, was reported hijacked in Calcutta in May this year,” he said.
Anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of the suspects is urged to contact the nearest police station or call CrimeStop on 08600 10111. Alternatively, they can tip off the police anonymously through the MySAPS app.
