55 CIT cases reported in first quarter
Fifty-five cash-in-transit cases were reported during first quarter of the 2024/25 financial year.
The figure was revealed by Hawks boss Godfrey Lebeya during a briefing Sunday on the directorate’s work.
"Criminals who bomb armoured cash vehicles are ruthless and do not value the lives of others. Fifty-five cases were reported on cash-in-transit (CIT) related crimes for the reporting period.
"Thirty-four suspects were arrested which is made of twenty-eight arrests effected on cases reported during the first quarter including the seven suspects who died during an exchange of fire with police and six arrests on CIT cases reported before this quarter.”
Lebeya says there were 61 CIT-related arrests during the period.
There were also 19 convictions including those of three security guards found guilty in March of involvement in planning a 2021 robbery.
The staged robbery involved two Fidelity armoured vehicles.
They were travelling from Port Shepstone to Kokstad after collecting cash at a depot, when one of them disappeared and the other was intercepted by robbers.
An undisclosed amount of money was taken.
Bonginkosi Mabusela, Phelo Mdleleni and Sinenhlanhla Mhlamvu were sentenced in April in the Ezingolweni Regional Court.
Nobhadula died in prison whilst awaiting trial. His three co-accused were found guilty on 8 March 2024.
"On 19 April 2024, Ezingolweni Regional Court sentenced Mabusela, Mdleleni, and Mhlamvu to a total of 190 years imprisonment for theft of cash as well as staged robbery,” said Lebeya.
