SAPS Intercept 25 Armed Men Planning Cash in Transit Heist in Rosettenville, 10 Killed

• 25 armed men in Rosettenville, Johannesburg attempted a cash-in-transit heist but their plans were foiled by the South African Police Service
• Bheki Cele confirmed the incident, which resulted in eight arrests, 10 deaths and four injured policemen
• Cele said that the suspects were found to be in possession of weapons similar to those used by the South African National Defence Force

JOHANNESBURG - The South African Police Service (SAPS) intercepted 25 armed men trying to conduct a cash-in-transit heist in Rosettenville, Johannesburg. However, a shooting occurred with fatal consequences.

Grace Langa, a spokesperson for the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid), said that 10 people were killed, eight of whom were members of the armed group. Four SAPS officers are in hospital receiving treatment.

According to IOL, Bheki Cele, the Minister of Police, inspected the crime scene shortly after the incident. Cele confirmed that eight men had been arrested, and SAPS are searching for the remaining nine.

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How SAPS discovered the armed men

SAPS have been observing the group of men for a week and tracked their movements, allowing them to deploy police helicopters to conduct a search. However, members of the armed group shot at the helicopter, and, in doing so, injured the pilot's assistant.

Cele noted that the weapons SAPS officers found on the arrested suspect's person are congruent with those typically used by the South African National Defence Force (SANDF). These include AK47 assault rifles with double magazines and explosives, SABC News reports.

“It [R4] would be used by the Defence Force mostly. So those would be taken for ballistics, including the AK47s, even if they are not coming from our own [country], to see if they do not come from the state. But the investigation is going on,” Cele said.

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South Africans react to Rosettenville shooting

@MaTerry153 said:

"Good Job done by SAPS and hats off to them and big praises rise upon them and wishing a Life Sentences to those heartless CIT deadly Criminals!"

@ThandiWelch believes:

@charles_tshwane shared:

"They need to declare a national emergency."

@BongaOfficial said:

"The state has a monopoly of violence, this is good. Law and order. We can’t be held ransom by criminals in South Africa. Because these criminals kill & rape innocent people, the state did well by being very decisive."

@sibusisomgabhaz remarked:

"Cele must leave police work to police and must go parliament and do his political work to expropriate without compensation."

SAPS present 2021 3rd quarter crime stats, 900 women murdered

Speaking of SAPS, Briefly News previously reported that on 18 February, the South African Police Service (SAPS) presented South Africa's crime statistics for October to December 2021 to the Portfolio Committee on Police.

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SAPS present 2021 3rd quarter crime stats, 900 women murdered, rape decreases

Bheki Cele, the Minister of Police, and Khehla Sitole, the police commissioner, attended the presentation in Cape Town, which Major General Thulare Sekhukhune led.

Sekhukhune reported that in the period, there were 562 more murders in South Africa than in the third quarter of 2020. This represents an 8.95 increase in 12 months. In addition, 900 of the people killed in this period were women.

Source: Briefly News