This year has seen a spike in brazen cash-in-transit heists. The hunt for big bucks, blood, guns and death are back on our highways.
According to eNCA, the ministry of police announced on Monday that it would deploy more officers in the field to fight the escalating crisis.
This comes after an incident in which G4S vehicles were targeted five times in one day. According to News24, the attacks took place in eMalahleni in Mpumalanga, East London and Mthatha in Eastern Cape, Krugersdorp west of Gauteng, and in Vanderbijlpark.
How do criminals manage to pull off these crimes? According to the Sunday Times, gangs are sourcing advice — and even arms caches — from convicted heist kingpins in prison.
A convict interviewed by the Sunday Times, who once ran a cash-in-transit heist gang, claimed he charges R30,000 for advice and R50,000 to hire firearms.
These new guys are amateurs; too flashy and take too many risks.
"I will be phoned for advice. People out there know who I am, what I have done and what I can still do," the kingpin told the newspaper, speaking on condition of anonymity. He was sentenced to multiple life sentences after a multimillion-rand heist in the late 1990s in which several guards died.
"There are three elements to it: surprise, speed and corrupt cops and security guards... I tell those looking to commit a heist how to choose a site for the ambush, about speed. You have to be off the scene within five minutes, or else you must know you are going to war with the cops."
He criticised robbers involved in the most recent heists: "These new guys are amateurs; too flashy and take too many risks."
For R50,000, he'll throw in advice and a cache of weapons — hidden around Gauteng and managed by his wife as his accomplice on the outside.
News24 reported three separate cash-in-transit heists on Monday — the one in Krugersdorp involved seven suspects armed with AK-47s and handguns, who confronted security while they were transporting money from a garage.
According to eNCA, the Motor Transport Workers' Union (MTWU) wants more to be done to protect cash-in-transit workers.
EWN compiled a timeline of a cash-in-transit heist over the past month which shows a rising trend across the country.
2 May: Four people were arrested in connection with a heist along the R44 between Wellington and Klapmuts.
5 May: Two guards were shot in a heist in Cosmo City, Johannesburg.
15 May: Two G4S were shot and wounded in a heist outside Roodepoort.
17 May: Four suspects have been arrested following a cash heist in Boksburg on the East Rand.
20 May: In the south of Johannesburg nearby Southdale Mall, a cash van was stopped outside the mall and eight suspects forced the guard to open the van.
21 May: Five suspects held a guard at gunpoint at Jabulani Mall.
23 May: Criminals opened fire on a cash van on the N3 near Marlboro
28 May: In Polokwane, robbers used explosives to blow up a cash van and got away with an undisclosed amount of money.
29 May: A cash van managed to escape an attack by robbers in Kinkelbos, Eastern Cape.
30 May: In Mpumalanga robbers travelling in two vehicles failed to flee with the money.