Swift Action by Eastern Cape Police Leads to Arrest of CIT Robbery Suspects

In a remarkable display of coordinated law enforcement, Eastern Cape police have earned high praise for their swift response to a cash-in-transit (CIT) heist that rocked the province early Monday morning. The decisive actions led to multiple arrests and recovery of a significant amount of cash and weapons within hours following the violent incident.

Major General Mboiki Obed Ngwenya, the provincial head of police, expressed commendation for the Interim CIT task team of the Hawks, alongside the local Tactical Response Team (TRT), highlighting their efficiency in locating the suspects shortly after they perpetrated the robbery.

The crime unfolded at dawn when an SBV armoured vehicle, traveling from East London to Stutterheim, encountered an ambush on the N6 near Macleantown. The attackers used a convoy of vehicles reported to have been stolen from other provinces, subsequently causing three security guards to sustain injuries as their armoured vehicle was overturned.

Fleeing with an undisclosed sum often involves yet another layer of criminal activity traced back to car theft, indicating a more in-depth network behind the scenes. The suspects' hastily abandoned vehicles, later found to be stolen, together with the recovery of explosives on-site, underscored the planned nature of the heist.

A breakthrough came just a few hours post-incident when the police received a tip that guided them to a homestead in Kom location, Keiskammahoek. There, the officers were met with gunfire, leading to a shootout that tragically resulted in the death of five assailants. In the aftermath, the police seized a cache of firearms and ammunition, including AK 47 and R5 rifles, as well as the cash stolen in the heist, which had been retained in its original money bags.

A 58-year-old man, identified as the homestead owner, was taken into custody and will soon face legal proceedings in the King William's Town Magistrate's court. Further intelligence-driven operations led the Hawks along with various SAPS teams to intercept a suspicious Porsche between Queenstown and Cradock. Despite attempts to evade the authorities, the pursuit culminated in the capture of three suspects and the requisition of more stolen cash, burner cellphones, and the luxury car, also found to be stolen from Gauteng.

All apprehended individuals are scheduled for court appearances, with the three connected to the Porsche set to be arraigned before the Cradock Magistrate’s court on Thursday.

The tenacity and collaborative spirit of the Eastern Cape police have been exemplary in the wake of this attempted CIT heist, delivering justice and maintaining public safety with commendable alacrity.