Durban — A security guard is recovering in hospital after being shot during an attempted cash-in-transit (CIT) robbery near Chatsworth on Wednesday morning.
It was initially reported that eight suspects used a grey Toyota Avanza and were involved in a CIT robbery attempt at the BP garage on Meranti Street in Mobeni. The suspects fled soon and empty-handed, but a security guard was shot on his arm.
BP Garage manager Devaksha Nagoor said that the incident began at 5.54am when there was a CIT pick-up truck making its way to the garage.
“When I arrived to do the CIT pick-up, I noticed two guys nearby. They were in their car, a silver VW T-Cross, and on their phones but looking in our direction. As I approached the door to the truck to perform the CIT, I noticed a guy behind me and he told me to keep silent. At this point, he pointed a gun at me. The guard did not see this and he continued to open the door assuming it was only me. Once he noticed this, he helped me inside and kept the door closed.
“At this point, they lost interest in us and they started firing towards the truck. The panic buttons were pressed and Mzansi SecuriFire arrived at the scene within minutes,” said Nagoor.
He said the incident happened in less than five minutes and the would-be robbers left with nothing. Nagoor added that through video footage, they saw that six people were involved.
“The guard has been involved with CIT pick-ups at the garage for over three years and he was the hero of the day. The staff and I were shaken, but now we are okay,” said Nagoor.
ALS Paramedics managing director Garrith Jamieson said the guard was stabilised on the scene by Advanced Life Support Paramedics before being rushed through to a nearby Durban hospital.
Police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda said that the Bayview police are investigating a case of attempted robbery and attempted murder.
As of March 6, the Cash-In-Transit Association of SA (Citasa) revealed that CIT robberies had increased by 19% in the first two months.
Yet despite the statistics provided by Citasa, national police spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe said cash heists were on a downward trend.
“This can be attributed to concerted efforts to intensify the fight against serious and violent crime through an integrated crime-combating approach and the close collaboration between the SAPS and CIT companies,” Mathe said. Wh
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