Barely 48 hours after a foiled cash-in-transit heist in Libode on Monday in which two guards were shot and injured, robbers attacked another cash van, this time killing a guard and injuring two others.
“Twenty-four spent cartridges from R5 automatic rifles and pistols were collected from the scene, but we believe more shots were fired,” said Fatyela.
The guard was shot dead after he apparently broke free from the robbers and tried to flee.
Fatyela said the van had been travelling from Mount Ayliff to Mthatha when the robbers struck.
“The robbers, driving a white Hyundai bakkie with a tow-bar, rammed the guards’ van and blocked the road. A group on the back of the bakkie jumped off and sprayed the guards’ van with bullets, demanding that the three guards surrender and open the safe or they would set the van alight,” said Fatyela.
The gang took a rifle and two pistols from the dead and injured men.
Senior officials from the security company’s Mthatha depot rushed to the scene, but would not speak to the Dispatch, saying they were not allowed to speak to the media.
Fatyela said the robbers fled towards Mthatha in the hijacked Mercedes-Benz ML. It was later found abandoned near Mpindweni village not far from Northcrest, Mthatha.
Police said two violent robberies by large gangs in less than two days was worrying.
On Monday, cash van guards raced into St Barnabas Hospital in Ntlaza near Libode with robbers in a white Toyota Fortuna in hot pursuit.
About 50 shots were pumped into the van in the hospital grounds.
Two guards were shot, one in the armpit and another in the buttocks.
The group of about 15 gunmen later abandoned their attack and left empty-handed.
The guards had been travelling on the R61 from Lusikisiki to Mthatha when the road was blocked by a silver VW Golf. Fatyela urged anyone with information to come forward. — lulamilef@dispatch.co.za
Expert says heist figures on a decline
The Institute for Security Studies (ISS) says there has been a substantial decline in the number of cash-in-transit heists over the last nine years.
Senior ISS researcher Dr Johan Burger ruled out the festive season as a motive for the recent heists in the Eastern Cape.
“I don’t see how these incidents could be linked to the festive season.
“What I think is that there is a new group that is targeting cash vans or an existing group that has included cash van heists as part of their operations.
“Another possibility is that a group operating from outside the Eastern Cape may be responsible for this, seeing that cash-in-transit heists are very low in the province.”
Burger said there were 467 cash-in-transit heists nationally between 2006 and 2007.
Then between 2014 and 2015, there were 119 heists, a significant drop compared with 2006-7.
He said in the Eastern Cape there were a total of 20 cash-in-transit heists between 2006-7 and the figure picked up to 69 between 2009 and 2010.
“In the past financial year there were only 10 heists in the province,” said Burger.
Managing director of SBV Service South Africa Mark Barrett said they had successfully defended three attacks in July and August alone.
He said crime in the cash environment was becoming increasingly sophisticated with technology, violence and intelligent mechanisms.
He said some of the preventative measures included crime prevention, training of staff, equipping staff to defend themselves and rewarding and acknowledging employees for bravery.
He said SBV had also cultivated an excellent working relationship with the heads of department within the South African Police Services, prosecuting authorities and various external stakeholders. — zwangam@dispatch.co.za
Guard killed as gang hits another van
“Twenty-four spent cartridges from R5 automatic rifles and pistols were collected from the scene, but we believe more shots were fired,” said Fatyela.
The guard was shot dead after he apparently broke free from the robbers and tried to flee.
Fatyela said the van had been travelling from Mount Ayliff to Mthatha when the robbers struck.
“The robbers, driving a white Hyundai bakkie with a tow-bar, rammed the guards’ van and blocked the road. A group on the back of the bakkie jumped off and sprayed the guards’ van with bullets, demanding that the three guards surrender and open the safe or they would set the van alight,” said Fatyela.
The gang took a rifle and two pistols from the dead and injured men.
Senior officials from the security company’s Mthatha depot rushed to the scene, but would not speak to the Dispatch, saying they were not allowed to speak to the media.
Fatyela said the robbers fled towards Mthatha in the hijacked Mercedes-Benz ML. It was later found abandoned near Mpindweni village not far from Northcrest, Mthatha.
Police said two violent robberies by large gangs in less than two days was worrying.
On Monday, cash van guards raced into St Barnabas Hospital in Ntlaza near Libode with robbers in a white Toyota Fortuna in hot pursuit.
About 50 shots were pumped into the van in the hospital grounds.
Two guards were shot, one in the armpit and another in the buttocks.
The group of about 15 gunmen later abandoned their attack and left empty-handed.
The guards had been travelling on the R61 from Lusikisiki to Mthatha when the road was blocked by a silver VW Golf. Fatyela urged anyone with information to come forward. — lulamilef@dispatch.co.za
Expert says heist figures on a decline
The Institute for Security Studies (ISS) says there has been a substantial decline in the number of cash-in-transit heists over the last nine years.
Senior ISS researcher Dr Johan Burger ruled out the festive season as a motive for the recent heists in the Eastern Cape.
“I don’t see how these incidents could be linked to the festive season.
“What I think is that there is a new group that is targeting cash vans or an existing group that has included cash van heists as part of their operations.
“Another possibility is that a group operating from outside the Eastern Cape may be responsible for this, seeing that cash-in-transit heists are very low in the province.”
Burger said there were 467 cash-in-transit heists nationally between 2006 and 2007.
Then between 2014 and 2015, there were 119 heists, a significant drop compared with 2006-7.
He said in the Eastern Cape there were a total of 20 cash-in-transit heists between 2006-7 and the figure picked up to 69 between 2009 and 2010.
“In the past financial year there were only 10 heists in the province,” said Burger.
Managing director of SBV Service South Africa Mark Barrett said they had successfully defended three attacks in July and August alone.
He said crime in the cash environment was becoming increasingly sophisticated with technology, violence and intelligent mechanisms.
He said some of the preventative measures included crime prevention, training of staff, equipping staff to defend themselves and rewarding and acknowledging employees for bravery.
He said SBV had also cultivated an excellent working relationship with the heads of department within the South African Police Services, prosecuting authorities and various external stakeholders. — zwangam@dispatch.co.za
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