Manhunt for Empangeni armed robbers
A police source close to the investigation, who could not be named as he is not authorised to speak to the media, said armed guards were putting money into the machine when they were confronted by a gang of armed men.
"One of the security guards was about to load the last canister into the machine when he was accosted by three men who held him at gunpoint.
"Staring down the barrel, they forced him to hand over one full canister and then demanded he remove the loaded money from the machine," the source said.
"They stripped the guard and another of their firearms and fled on foot carrying the money. They jumped on to the back of a bakkie and sped off. They were pursued by the security guards and the police, but their trail was lost in the Melmoth area," he said.
Police spokesperson Major Thulani Zwane confirmed that a case of robbery had been opened.
He said despite one shot being fired by the robbers, no one was harmed.
Last month, a string of South African Social Security Agency ATMs were robbed in KwaZulu-Natal.
(File photo: Gallo Images)