Security Guards Assaulted, Robbed at Gunpoint in Verulam

KEY POINTS

• Two security guards were assaulted and robbed at gunpoint in Verulam, KwaZulu-Natal, on Monday morning while transporting cash to an armoured vehicle.
• The attackers, wearing bulletproof vests and armed with rifles, stole the guards’ firearms and a bag of cash. Witnesses noted the suspects had strategically positioned lookouts.
• The suspects fled in a silver VW Polo/Golf (BP68GP-ZN) and remain at large. The guards sustained non-life-threatening injuries.

Two security guards were held at gunpoint, assaulted, and robbed during a brazen cash-in-transit (CIT) robbery in Verulam, KwaZulu-Natal, on Monday morning. 

The incident occurred at approximately 10:00 AM on Todd Street in the bustling Central Business District (CBD). According to Reaction Unit South Africa (RUSA), the armed suspects targeted the security guards as they were transporting cash to an armoured vehicle parked nearby.

The security guards, employed by IZI Cash, were ambushed as they exited a wholesaler. 

The assailants, described as heavily armed and wearing bulletproof vests, stole the guards’ firearms and a bag containing an undisclosed amount of cash. 

Witnesses reported that the suspects were strategically positioned, with two men armed with rifles stationed at either end of the street to monitor for first responders.

Getaway Vehicle Identified, Suspects Still at Large

The suspects fled the scene in a silver VW Polo or Golf with registration plates BP68GP-ZN. Despite the swift response from RUSA and local law enforcement, the perpetrators remain at large. 

RUSA spokesperson Prem Balram confirmed that the guards were assaulted during the robbery but did not sustain life-threatening injuries.

This incident follows a similar CIT heist in Atteridgeville, west of Pretoria, just two days prior.

In that attack, a group of approximately 20 men bombed a cash van, injuring four security guards and making off with an undisclosed amount of money. Police spokesperson Lt-Col Mavela Masondo stated that the suspects used their own vehicle to force the cash van to stop before executing the bombing.

This incident follows a similar CIT heist in Atteridgeville, west of Pretoria, just two days prior.

In that attack, a group of approximately 20 men bombed a cash van, injuring four security guards and making off with an undisclosed amount of money. Police spokesperson Lt-Col Mavela Masondo stated that the suspects used their own vehicle to force the cash van to stop before executing the bombing.

Law enforcement agencies have expressed concern over the increasing number of CIT heists across the country, with syndicates employing more sophisticated tactics and higher levels of violence. Authorities are working closely with private security firms to enhance intelligence-sharing and operational coordination in a bid to curb the rising crime wave.

Police are urging anyone with information on the Verulam heist to come forward, as investigations continue into the organized crime networks behind these attacks.