Foiled gold heist ends in deadly shoot-out in Johannesburg west
Law enforcement officers who had been monitoring a group of alleged criminals stopped a suspected heist in its tracks.
One person was shot and killed and several others were arrested following a shoot-out between suspected gold heist robbers and police in Aureus in Randfontein, Gauteng, yesterday.
The Randfontein police, along with various other crime intelligence units, had been monitoring a group of criminals who were allegedly planning to execute a gold heist.
According to West Rand district police commissioner Major General Fred Kekana, police had been tracking a group of suspected criminals since 04:00. They allegedly planned to rob a vehicle transporting gold.
“This group of criminals retreated to 40 Fiat Street in Aureus, to draft a final plan to execute the heist. They were unaware that the police were behind them all along,” Kekana says.
He says a Toyota Hilux double cab bakkie drove onto the property. One of the men had an R5 rifle and started shooting at police, striking a police vehicle. The police returned fire, killing one of the suspects, he says.
“Unfortunately, the criminals shot one of our officers in the hand. The officer is in hospital receiving medical assistance. He is stable,” Kekana says.
A 58-year-old man, who was previously arrested in 2008 for a similar offence, but was released on parole in 2022, was arrested.
When he was paroled, the suspect went to live with his sister in Thembisa, says Kekana. While profiling the suspect, police realised that he was linked to three other cash-in-transit heists on the West Rand.
Two other suspects were also arrested at the house, while five jumped over a wall and escaped.
“We found an R5 rifle with 150 live rounds of ammunition and three magazines.”
Police, who followed other cars trying to get away from the house, stopped a Volkswagen Polo in Mohlakeng and arrested two more suspects.
“One of the suspects was shot, but not seriously injured. The rifles’ serial numbers have been filed off,” Kekana says.
Police were also in pursuit of a Mercedes-Benz E200, which was abandoned by the suspects.
Three other vehicles, a Toyota Tazz, a Golf 1 and a BMW M3 were also recovered in Fiat Street.
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