Escalating Tensions in Eastern Cape as Another CIT vehicle Explosion Marks Sixth Heist in Five Months

A fresh wave of unease washes over the Eastern Cape as police confirm yet another high-stakes cash-in-transit (CIT) heist. This latest incident, which unfolded on the N6 between East London and Stutterheim, marks the sixth extreme robbery in this province alone in under five months.

Gruesome images displayed across social media platforms amplify the intensity of the crime scene, featuring the remains of a blown-up security vehicle. Two security guards, injured in the onslaught, suffered gunshot wounds and were hastily transported to a local hospital for urgent care.

The assailants, heavily armed and ruthless, managed to make off with an undisclosed amount of cash, leaving behind chaos and cementing a crime pattern that has plagued the province since May 2023. Eastern Cape has been the epicenter of a spate of CIT heists, including the shocking incident on May 1st where a police officer was killed during a high-speed chase following a CIT robbery in Westbank, East London.

With every mounting incident, culminating in the latest violent attack on the N6, the brazen use of explosives and gunfire in these robberies becomes a lingering concern for the province’s law enforcement agencies.

The Hawks, the South African Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, continue to work relentlessly to crack down on these meticulously executed heists and bring the culprits to justice. However, as the fear and unrest spurred by these robberies lie heavy against the Eastern Cape, the residents urgently await a break in this brittle state of public safety.