A gang of 11 suspected cash-in-transit robbers drove into a deadly police trap on the N1, after an ensuing shootout leaving three of them dead and the rest arrested and hospitalised.
The suspects, who were linked to a string of heists in the Eastern Cape, were travelling in a white minibus near Paarl towards Cape Town with their loot on Tuesday.
But the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks) and members of the National Priority Violent Crimes (NPVC), Crime Intelligence, Special Task Force and National Intervention Unit (NIU) were waiting for them.
Hawk’s spokesperson, Lieutenant-Colonel Philani Nkwalase, says once suspects noticed the officers, a shootout and high-speed chase ensued.
“The team swiftly acted on information received about suspects allegedly involved in multiple cash-in-transit heists in the Eastern Cape,” he explains.
“They were intercepted whilst travelling on the N1 near Paarl towards Cape Town on Tuesday afternoon.
“The occupants of the taxi allegedly fired at the team and the police returned fire.”
“The suspects crashed their vehicle and of the 11 suspects, only eight managed to survive the shootout.
“This caused chaos on the N1 highway during peak hour traffic as road closures were put in place to secure
the scene.
PROBE: Philani Nkwalase
Two wounded suspects were transported to the nearest medical facility, while those unharmed were made to lie flat on their stomachs and tied up one by one.
“Consequently, eight suspects were arrested, six of those were unharmed whilst two were injured and are currently under hospital guard,” says Nkwalase.
“Three of the suspects were fatally wounded [during the shootout] and that incident is being investigated by the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid).
An undisclosed amount of cash was found in the minibus.
“Those arrested are facing charges of attempted murder and possession of suspected stolen property, and the investigation is ongoing,” Nkwalase added.