WATCH | Florida cash heist carried out by 'gang of 12 gunmen'

The G4S cash-in-transit (CIT) vehicle which was ambushed in Florida, Roodepoort, on Friday morning was carried out by a gang of 12 armed men, police said.

The CIT guards came under attack along Ontdekkers Road at around 8am after loading cash at ATM machines in the area, national police spokesperson Col Brenda Muridili said.

A war is raging: cash-in-transit heists escalate

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A tow truck driver who gave chase when he saw the suspicious vehicles flee the scene was shot and killed on William Nicol Road when the suspects allegedly opened fire. 

Muridili said the group of about 12 suspects, who opened fire on the G4S vehicle with pistols and rifles, were driving in four different cars: a black BMW, a black Mercedes- Benz, a white Ford Ranger and a white Audi Q5.

“All the guards were instructed to lie down,” she said.

“The suspects allegedly used explosives to bomb the armoured vehicle and made off with an undisclosed amount of cash.”

Muridili said a First Help tow truck driver who was in the area noticed the suspects speeding away and gave chase.

Earlier reports indicated the tow truck driver was killed on 14th Avenue.

A rifle taken from a G4S security guard during the robbery was found abandoned on Hendrik Potgieter Road, about 1km from the crime scene, Muridili said.

TimesLIVE