Cash van blown to pieces in Joburg heist

A cash-in-transit van was robbed of an undisclosed amount of money, before the vehicle was blown up in Nasrec, Johannesburg, on Monday afternoon.

Police spokesperson Col Brenda Muridili said security guards, the driver and crew were on the way to their base after collecting cash from their last client in Soweto. 

At about 5.43pm, at Soccer City Avenue in Nasrec, a silver BMW rammed the armoured vehicle, forcing it to a standstill.

“Four suspects wearing balaclavas, armed with assault rifles, forced [the] victims out of the armoured vehicle at gunpoint. They searched them and robbed them of their two pistols,” she said.

Muridili said an unknown amount of cash was taken.

The robbers forced the security crew to lie on the ground a few metres away from their vehicle and then placed explosives in the van. They then detonated the explosives, she said.

“The silver BMW was allegedly burnt after the robbery by the suspects. Several shots were fired, but no one was injured.”

Muridili said another getaway vehicle, a white Audi, was spotted by the victims. The robbers loaded the cash into the Audi.