The 10 biggest cash-in-transit heists in South Africa last year allegedly netted criminals a staggering R456-million.
This was revealed by Interpol’s South African TurnBack Crime ambassador, Andy Mashaile, on Tuesday. He was speaking at a panel discussion in Midrand, Johannesburg, on technology systems needed to defeat cash heist gangs.
Mashaile said that only R33-million of this R465-million had been recovered.
“This points to how much money these crime gangs are stealing, and how vital technology is in the fight against these crimes, especially when it comes to minimising deaths, injuries and losses.”
Earlier this month South African Banking Risk Information Centre CEO Kalyani Pillay said there had been 140 heists in 2017 and that since January there had been 178 heists – just less than one a day – with 17 people killed and 93 injured.
Economists warn the threat to South Africa is not just from the direct loss of cash, but also the indirect loss.
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