A crack police team killed 11 would-be robbers and wounded one when it thwarted a cash-in-transit heist on the R101 near the Carousel casino in Limpopo on Tuesday.
National police spokesperson Director Phuti Setati said members of the task force had received a tip-off that the men were going to rob a Coin security van at about 11.40am.
Setati said the van, which was travelling back to Pretoria after picking up money, reached the Maubane offramp when the men attempted a cash-in-transit heist.
”They were trying to box it in, between two vehicles, and at the same they were shooting at it, trying to push it off the road,” said Setati.
He said police, who had taken up positions on, around and in helicopters above the offramp, then returned ”heavy fire”.
”Members from the task force were in the air and on the ground,” Setati said, adding that was were ”lots” of shots fired.
He said that when police returned fire a number of the robbers tried to run into the field on the side of the highway.
However, police helicopters were able to follow them.
”One [robber] was shot close to 500m away from where the whole thing took place, in the mielie field.”
Another eight robbers were killed during the shoot-out.
Setati said one man died in an ambulance at the scene while another was certified dead on arrival at hospital.
The 12th robber was in a serious condition in hospital.
The would-be robbers had been travelling in three vehicles: a Nissan Bakkie, a Mazda bakkie and a Volvo.
Along with the vehicles, police also recovered four AK47s, one shotgun, one R-5 rifle and five handguns.
”It was splendid work,” said Setati. ”We knew their plan. We had sharp intelligence.”
He said no motorists were in any danger during the operation.
”There was no danger. Only criminals were affected.”
Setati said the operation was a message from the police to the criminals that they would spare no effort in stopping them.
”We are going to thwart them,” he said.
”We can’t allow a few criminals to intimidate the whole country. Communities are up in arms, supporting the police.”
No Coin security guards or police were injured in the shoot-out.
Setati said it was not yet known where the men were from or if they were wanted in connection with any other crimes.
He said he would not divulge how many police members were involved in the operation, saying: ”Criminals are also reading.”
Police National Commissioner Jackie Selebi has congratulated his workforce for foiling the heist by ”armed thugs” in the Limpopo province.
He said all indications showed that the men intended to set the cash van alight and he was relieved that the ”heinous and ruthless crime” had been prevented.
Selebi said no police had been injured, even though the special task-force units were ”riddled in bullet holes”.
He said the efforts of the police officers showed, yet again, that the country’s law enforcement had the intelligence and the capacity to deal with ”large gangs of armed thugs”.
”[They] will not hesitate to fight fire with fire in order to protect the people of South Africa and their property”, Selebi said.
”My sincere thanks to the brave policemen involved in thwarting this ruthless attack.”
Coin Security could not be immediately reached for comment. — Sapa