Five robbers shot dead, four arrested after CIT heist in Eastern Cape

The Hawks and the tactical response team in the Eastern Cape killed five suspects and arrested four others after a cash-in-transit heist near Macleantown on Monday. 

The SBV armoured vehicle was ambushed while driving on the N6 from East London to Stutterheim at 6am. Three guards were injured as the armoured vehicle landed on its side during the attack. An SBV escort vehicle was also shot at.

The suspects fled the scene with an undisclosed amount of cash and abandoned three vehicles from their fleet. These vehicles were discovered to have been reported stolen in other provinces. Explosives were also recovered on the scene. 

A few hours later, information was received which led the team to Kom location in a homestead in Keiskammahoek.  

“The team was received with a hail of bullets from the assailants in the suspicious homestead and the police were forced to retaliate with the same force which ended with five of the assailants fatally wounded,” Hawks spokesperson Capt Yolisa Mgolodela said. 

Police also seized:

• cash in money bags;
• three AK 47 rifles;
• an R1 rifle;
• four R5 rifles; and
• 17 magazines with a large number of live rounds of ammunition. 

A 58-year-old suspect, the owner of the homestead, was arrested and will appear in King William’s Town (Qonce) magistrate’s court soon. 

“A follow-up investigation ensued which led to the arrest of three suspects driving in a suspicious Porsche vehicle with GP registration between Queenstown (Komani) and Cradock,” Mgolodela said. 

Police also seized cash in stacks of R100 and R200 notes in original cash bags, four burner cellphones and the Porsche Cayenne vehicle. 

“The Porsche was found to be reported stolen in Gauteng.” 

The three suspects will make their first court appearance before the Cradock magistrate’s court on Thursday. 

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