Staff Reporter.
Two innocent bystanders have been killed and another wounded following a cash-in-transit (CIT) heist in Putfontein,Benoni on the East Rand.
It is understood a group of suspects attacked the CIT truck early on Wednesday, next to the Chief Albert Luthuli informal settlement.
The incident claimed the lives of two male bystanders, while another was rushed to hospital for medical care.
The suspects fled with an undisclosed amount of money.
Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department (EMPD) spokesperson Ignatius Maphike said one of the guards was injured during the robbery.
“One Fidelity security guard was injured on the arm due to the collision. Two bystanders were shot dead by the robbers, while they were taking videos of the heist with their phones. One bystander was shot in the arm.
“One of vehicles belonging to the suspects caught fire,” Maphike said.
Maphike added that the suspects getaway vehicle was recovered about 500 meters away from the crime scene.
Police spokesperson Athlenda Mathe has urged the public to avoid the Putfontein road in Crystal Park as this is still an active crime scene.
“The SAPS has mobilised its crime scene experts including the SAPS bomb disposal unit to investigate, while a multidisciplinary team has been dispatched to search for the armed suspects.”
Police managed to recover three of the suspects’ getaway vehicles.
In March, statistics from the Cash-In-Transit Association of SA (Citasa) revealed that cash-in-transit (CIT) heists increased by 19% in the first two months of 2023, compared to the same period last year.
Compiled by Lehlohonolo Lehana.