The Audi was riddled with bullet holes, and an AK-47 and several handguns were found in the vehicles.

Police and Fidelity Security are working tirelessly to solve the murder of Fidelity Security escort guard, Mr Vezi Matshika.

Matshika was gunned down when the cash-in-transit vehicle he was escorting, drove into an ambush and robbers sporting balaclavas, bullet proof vests and semi-automatic guns, surrounded the guards and opened fire.

While trying to protect his colleagues, Matshika got out of his vehicle and returned fire. He was shot in the back of the head. He died hours later in hospital.

Matshika was laid to rest in his home town, Monsterlus in Limpopo, over the past weekend.

Information has it that the eight suspects arrested, are linked with the heist in Middelburg as well as another one on Friday when a G4S armoured vehicle and an escort vehicle en-route from Secunda to Middelburg, were attacked, after robbers, travelling in five vehicles, blocked the road between Ogies and Kriel.

According to a statement by the Hawks, 15 armed robbers started shooting at five G4S guards. Two guards were critically injured during the shootout.

Robbers then proceeded to blow open the cash-in-transit vehicle with explosives, they took an undisclosed amount of cash and fled the scene.

Information has it that some of the men, arrested by the Police’s Tactical Response Team working on a tip off, have already confessed to being part of the heist in Middelburg.

The Middelburg police gave their assurance that they are doing all they can to catch the men responsible for the local heist and murder and that they are in contact with other provinces to try and link robbers with forensic evidence.