Three suspected cash-in-transit robbers were shot and killed while another alleged accomplice was arrested after a deadly confrontation with police on the R80 highway in Gauteng.
The shooting happened on Monday, September 28, during an operation aimed at stopping a suspected robbery before it could be carried out. Police said the operation followed intelligence received by a multidisciplinary team working to disrupt organised cash-in-transit and cross-pavement robberies in the province.
The team included members of the South African Police Service Tactical Response Team, the Anti-Gang Unit and the Gauteng Traffic Air Wing. Private security companies also took part through Business Against Crime South Africa.
According to Gauteng police spokesperson Colonel Dimakatso Nevhuhulwi, the team was following up on information that a group of suspects was allegedly preparing to carry out a robbery. The officers and security personnel were then able to identify a vehicle believed to be connected to the suspected plan.
The team spotted a white Hyundai H1 travelling on the R80 highway and attempted to stop it using blue lights. Instead of stopping, the occupants allegedly opened fire, leading to an exchange of gunfire between the suspects and the police.
“The occupants allegedly opened fire on the police, who responded, resulting in three suspects being fatally wounded,” she said.
The three suspects were shot and killed during the confrontation. Police did not release their identities, and no further information was immediately provided about their ages or backgrounds.
An AK-47 rifle and a 9mm pistol were recovered from the Hyundai H1 after the shooting. The recovery of the weapons is expected to form an important part of the ongoing investigation, particularly as detectives work to establish whether the firearms may have been used in other offences.
Police also arrested a fourth suspect who was allegedly travelling with the same group. Nevhuhulwi said the man was travelling in a Toyota Avanza when he was taken into custody. A 9mm pistol was allegedly found in his possession.
“One suspect believed to be working with the same team was travelling in a Toyota Avanza and was arrested and found in possession of a 9mm pistol,” Nevhuhulwi said.
The arrest indicates that investigators believe the people travelling in the two vehicles may have been linked to the same suspected robbery operation. However, the full circumstances surrounding the alleged plan remain under investigation, and the arrested man will face the legal process as police continue gathering evidence.
Forensic experts were called to the scene to examine the vehicles, the firearms and any other evidence left behind during the shootout. The crime scene processing is expected to assist investigators in reconstructing what happened before, during and after the attempted stop.
Nevhuhulwi said the recovered firearms would undergo ballistic testing. The testing could help investigators determine whether the weapons were connected to other crimes, including previous cash-in-transit robberies or cross-pavement attacks in Gauteng.
“She said forensic experts were processing the scene for further evidence.”
“The recovered firearms will be subjected to ballistic testing to establish whether they can be linked to other crimes,” she said.
Cash-in-transit robberies have remained a serious concern for law enforcement and private security companies because they often involve heavily armed suspects, planned ambushes and dangerous exchanges of gunfire in public areas. Cross-pavement robberies, in which victims or security personnel are attacked while moving between locations, have also been targeted by joint policing and security operations.
The latest operation brought together specialist police units, traffic officials, an air wing and private security partners. Their combined involvement allowed the team to follow up on intelligence, track the suspected vehicle and act before the alleged robbery could take place.
Gauteng Deputy Provincial Commissioner for Policing Major General Fred Kekana praised the multidisciplinary team for its continued efforts to disrupt cash-in-transit robberies and cross-pavement robberies in the province.
His comments came after the operation ended with three suspected robbers dead, a fourth suspect in police custody and three firearms recovered from the vehicles. The ballistic examination and forensic investigation will now be central to determining whether the recovered weapons can be connected to other cases.
Police have not indicated whether any officers or members of the public were injured during the shootout. The investigation remains ongoing, with detectives expected to continue examining the scene, questioning witnesses and establishing the identities and alleged roles of everyone involved.
The arrested suspect is expected to appear in court once he has been formally charged. Further details may emerge as the forensic work is completed and investigators assess the evidence recovered during the operation on the R80 highway.