South Africa police
Gauteng police have launched a manhunt for a group of at least five armed robbers who staged a daring cash-in-transit robbery on the M2 near Germiston on Thursday.
News 24 reported that they stole an undisclosed amount of cash.
The heist took place on the M2 east between the Lower Germiston bridge and Geldenhuys interchange in Heriotdale while the cash van was transporting money from Ormonde to a base in Germiston.
The incident left four security guards in the hospital.
Two of them were injured when the cash van overturned, while the other two were shot by the suspects.
Police spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe said the cash van was escorted by two armed guards in another security vehicle.
“After passing the Cleveland off-ramp, their vehicle was rammed by a Mercedes-Benz. The driver of the bakkie lost control and the vehicle overturned. The driver and crew were taken out and disarmed.”
Mathe said at the same time, a Toyota Fortuner rammed the escort bakkie into a barrier.
“The Toyota Fortuner caught fire and completely burnt out [the vehicles that were involved] in the collision. The drivers escaped unharmed but the crew [members] were shot in both their legs and disarmed.”
Mathe said the robbers fired several shots into the air to scare off people
“The robbers then used explosives to open the money boxes and fled with an undisclosed amount of money.”
The police said the suspects robbed the security guards of a CZ pistol, a 9mm Glock and an R5 assault rifle.
The guards in the bakkie sustained head injuries while the crew in the escorting vehicle were shot.
All the injured were taken by ambulance to nearby hospitals.
Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department (EMPD) spokesperson Katlego Mphahlele said the EMPD Freeway Unit was first on the scene and was later joined by the police and the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department.
Mathe said the robbers fled in a Mercedes-Benz and a Ford Ranger.
