This story has been updated with a police comment.

Gunshots and explosions could be heard by people who had stopped their cars nearby during a cash-in-transit heist that took place near the Winterton / Bergville road intersection last night (August 25).

At least one person was injured during the heist; he was passing the scene when he was shot.

A local farmer was forced to make a hasty retreat as the robbery literally unfolded in front of him. He reported to fellow farmers that he had been shot at.

See original story: Motorists shot at during cash-in-transit heist

Farmer Johan Buys was coming into Ladysmith from the Winterton area when he spotted what he thought was an accident. “As I came over the hill, I saw lights at the side of the road and I assumed it was an accident ahead,” explained Buys. It was only when he got closer that he realised it was something else. The lights of my vehicle illuminated the scene and I could see the cash-in-transit van at the side of the road.

“Two armed gunmen suddenly pointed their firearms at me,” added a still shocked Buys.

It was then that they opened fire and the farmer veered off the road, swerving his vehicle as he made a U-turn before speeding away back down the road, the way he had come.

“I immediately alerted the farmers’ association,” he added. “I cannot be sure they actually fired at me, but they definitely sent a lot of rounds in my direction.”

Members of the local Farm Watch responded to the robbery after receiving reports from the farmer.

A bakkie was left abandoned at the side of the road after its driver was shot by the robbers. The man was taken to hospital by locals living in the area.

Farmers living nearby say the sound of gunfire could be heard kilometres away, followed by a loud explosion, believed to be dynamite.

The mangled wreckage of the cash-in-transit van could be seen as bystanders approached, only to be chased away by armed guards. It is believed that the large group of heavily-armed robbers made their escape along a dirt road leading towards Roosboom. Police and emergency services responded to the scene shortly afterwards.

ER24 was the first ambulance service to arrive. According to ER24’s Ziaad Warasally, his ambulance service was first on scene and they treated several of the guards for shock.

Within an hour, there were dozens of police vehicles securing the area. This while other police vehicles sped off in the direction of Roosboom in an attempt to track down the escaping gunmen.

According to KZN police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda, KwaZulu-Natal SAPS are searching for at least nine suspects in connection with a cash-in-transit robbery that happened on the R600 Winterton road near Ladysmith on Monday, August 25. He confirmed that the suspects were travelling in a metallic SUV when they attacked the cash delivery vehicle and accosted three security guards. The suspects allegedly robbed the security guards of their firearms before fleeing from the scene with an undisclosed amount of money.

Click to receive news links via WhatsApp. Or for the latest news, visit our webpage or follow us on Facebook and Twitter. Join us there!