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KwaZulu-Natal police have arrested two people in connection with the bombing of a cash-in-transit vehicle and robbing guards of their firearms along the R103 in Estcourt.
On Wednesday, three security officers travelling in an armoured vehicle were ambushed by eight men who opened fire on three guards inside the cash van, said spokesperson Brigadier Nomthandazo Mbambo.
“They then tried to blow open the vehicle but couldn’t access the money, only a small amount of money was damaged due to the explosion.”
They then took the guards’ firearms before fleeing the scene. Two guards were injured in the attack.
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A team consisting of Hawks’ National Priority Crimes Unit, a bomb squad and the K9 unit in Pietermaritzburg followed up on information received and arrested two people in Estcourt on Thursday.
Investigators further found evidence suspected to have been used in other cash-in-transit-related crimes at a third suspects house. He is still being sought by police.
The two arrested are expected to appear in the Estcourt Magistrate’s Court on Monday.
Meanwhile in Gauteng, three people who robbed and hijacked motorists using a vehicle fitted with blue lights were killed in a shootout with police on Thursday.
Members from Crime Intelligence had been following information about suspects committing hijackings and armed robberies in the northern suburbs of Johannesburg, at times using vehicles fitted with blue lights.
A fourth suspect was arrested at the scene.
Police and private security companies cornered them in Sandton, north of Johannesburg.
Spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Mavela Masondo said the suspects’ car lost control and crashed into the wall at Marlboro Drive.
“All the suspects jumped out of the car and the shootout continued. Three of the suspects were fatally wounded and one was arrested on the scene. Police recovered three unlicensed firearms with ammunition and a blue LED flashlight. It was established that the vehicle driven by the suspects was hijacked in Bramley earlier this month,” said Masondo.
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