Police Minister Bheki Cele says law enforcement is one step closer to breaking the crime syndicate responsible for the dramatic spike in cash-in-transit (CIT) heists. The minister says crime intelligence agencies have identified Botswana nationals as the bomb blast experts in CIT robberies.

For the last few months, South Africa has been rocked by a violent surge of CIT robberies. Amateur video footage reveals steel shrapnel flying across highways while well-organised criminals loot cash boxes from singed security vans.

It’s a crime spree which has gained notoriety in the media, stretching the length and breadth of the country, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake.

Private security contractors responsible for transporting cash have pleaded with the government and their employers to supply them with bigger and better guns, more robust vehicles and police permanent escorts.

Since January 2018, 178 CIT heists have been committed, leading to the deaths of 17 people, and leaving 93 seriously injured.

Police Minister Cele has classified these crimes as acts of ‘terrorism’ and has declared war on criminals, specifically those involved with cash-in-transit heists.

‘Botswana specialises in blasting’- Police Minister Bheki Cele

The latest breakthrough in dismantling CIT heist syndicates come following the arrest of several ‘masterminds’ behind the attacks, and an ensuing manhunt currently underway for the ringleader, Wellington “Bibi” Cenenda.

News24 reports that Cele has confirmed the arrests of foreign nationals hailing from Zimbabwe and Botswana. The minister of police believes the Botswana nationals are the explosive experts involved in the heists.

Criminals need to get through reinforced security vans which house the currency. To do this, they employ the use of explosives, which rip through steel and grant them access to the loot.

And according to Cele, Botswana nationals are hired for their expertise in explosives. The police minister has said:

“We have discovered that there are foreign nationals among these guys. We have identified two Botswana guys and two Zimbabweans. Botswana specialises in blasting, so I am sure they are working in the mines. They are brought for that kind of thing – their job is to blast these vans.”

Cele also maintained that he and his elite team of law enforcement officers are winning the war on crime, following the arrest of 40 suspected in cash-in-transit criminals.

The police chief also added that rapid response units are intercepting CIT robbers before they have a chance to loot vans. The capture of blasting experts has also resulted in a recent dip in successful CIT heists, with Cele saying: