The M1 freeway remains blocked off in both directions between Xavier Street and Booysens Road in Johannesburg following a shootout between police and cash-in-transit heist suspects.

According to Gauteng police spokesperson Colonel Dimakatso Sello, a heist took place in Springs at around 17:15 yesterday when armed men forced a cash van to come to a halt.

“The security guards had just picked up money from various outlets and were on their way back to their base when they were disarmed and the cash van bombed,” she says.

Vigilant members attached to the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI) and Johannesburg Flying Squad traced the suspects on the M1 south near the Booysens off-ramp, at around 20:20.

Sello says a shootout ensued with suspects travelling in a Toyota Quantum. One suspect was certified dead on the scene while two were apprehended. Three rifles were recovered, and cash and two cellphones were seized.

“Two empty cash bags, as well as implements used in armed robberies, were found in the getaway vehicle,” adds Sello.

The acting national police commissioner, Lieutenant-General Tebello Mosikili, commended the swift reaction by Gauteng police for tracing and apprehending the suspects within three hours of the commission of the crime.

The M1 Freeway remains blocked off in both directions btw Xavier Str & Booyesns Rd due to a crime scene.

Traffic travelling on the M1 North is being diverted at Xavier Str & traffic travelling on the M1 South is being diverted at Booysens Rd. #JHBTraffic #JoburgRoadSafety pic.twitter.com/2om9U1o2ok

— Jo’burg Metro Police Department – JMPD (@JoburgMPD) September 28, 2023