Two suspects have been shot dead in a shootout with Gauteng police following a cash-in-transit robbery in Virginia, Free State, while two other suspects remain on the run.
The Gauteng SAPS Tactical Response Team (TRT) encountered the suspects on Friday morning, November 7, after receiving information from their Free State counterparts about a vehicle allegedly linked to the robbery.
According to police, the Free State TRT had been pursuing the suspects following the cash-in-transit robbery in Virginia on Thursday, November 6, and alerted Gauteng officers that the vehicle was travelling in the direction of Soweto.
Gauteng TRT members provided backup and later came across a vehicle matching the description supplied.
When officers attempted to stop the vehicle, the suspects allegedly opened fire, prompting police to return fire.
Two suspects were fatally shot during the exchange, while two others managed to flee.
No police officers were injured in the incident.
Police recovered a 9mm pistol and an AK-47 rifle, both without serial numbers, at the scene.
The Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) was also called to the scene.
Police investigations are continuing.
Cash-in-transit robberies remain a concern
The incident comes amid ongoing concerns about increasingly violent cash-in-transit robberies in South Africa, with heavily armed criminal groups posing a serious threat to security personnel and law enforcement.
In an earlier interview with IOL, Cash-in-Transit Association of South Africa (CITASA) head Grant Clark called for a stronger intelligence-led approach to tackling the crime, warning that security measures alone were not enough to stop organised criminal syndicates.
Clark also raised concerns about repeat offenders being released on bail for similar offences and called on the National Prosecuting Authority to establish specialised courts and prosecutors to deal with these serious crimes.
