A former SA military officer is among the eight suspected robbers who died during a shoot-out with the police after a foiled cash-in-transit heist in Rosettenville, Johannesburg, on Monday.

In its first report of the crime scene, released on Tuesday, the Independent Police Directorate (Ipid) said different police units and forces received information of suspects who were planning to commit a cash-in-transit heist somewhere in Johannesburg.

“The information led them to a certain safe house at 50 Friars Hill Road in Rosettenville, where suspects had met for their final planning,” Ipid spokesperson Grace  Langa said in a statement.

A chopper was hovering above the safe house while other law-enforcement members took positions on the ground.

“When the suspects noticed the chopper they started shooting at it, and the police in the chopper retaliated by shooting back.

“The members on the ground joined in and suspects continued shooting at the police officers. The suspects tried to escape from the safe house, some on foot, some in their vehicles while others jumped over the walls into neighbouring houses,” said Langa.

The shoot-out continued for a while and more backup vehicles from law-enforcement agencies arrived.

“Five of the suspects who jumped over the fence into a neighbouring house at Hakka Road held the occupants of the house hostage.

“As the members went into this house, the shoot-out continued. The suspects were overpowered and the police managed to apprehend 10 of them, two of whom were wounded and taken to hospital under police guard,” Langa said.

While this was happening, backup police vehicles were chasing the other suspects who had fled the scene and hijacked a white VW Polo Vivo.

This resulted in another shoot-out. 

Eight suspects died during the incident and 10 were arrested. Of those arrested, five are Zimbabweans, one is from Botswana and four are South Africans.

Three police officers were injured, while one died in hospital.

Langa said because the crime scene was big, it was divided into five portions.

At the first scene, the police recovered the following weapons:

• One assault rifle with a filed off serial number with one empty magazine and 23 live rounds;
•  72 spent cartridges of rifle calibre;
• Five commercial explosives;
• Six Carmex wires;
• Three detonator codes;
• One stolen Audi Q3;
• One stolen Ford Ranger;
• One stolen Mercedes-Benz;
• One stolen Range Rover; and
• One stolen Audi S4.

“Fingerprints and DNA swabs were lifted from the vehicles and firearms. All the stolen vehicles had false registration numbers,” said Langa.

The second scene had a silver Polo TSI, a grey Ford Focus, a white Toyota Quantum, a white Toyota Hilux, a white NP300, one Max Corolla with a Malawian registration number, a Toyota Etios, a stolen silver grey BMW, one white Toyota Quantum, and two assault rifles with filed off serial numbers.

Three magazines loaded with 54 live rounds were recovered from the BMW X3.

“One two-way radio and balaclavas were found inside the BMW.

“Two deceased suspects who sustained multiple gunshot wounds were inside the BMW,” Langa said.

One assault rifle, nine small commercial explosives, two empty magazines, one gel commercial explosive, four detonator codes and a battery were found in one of the Toyota Quantums.

A deceased suspect was lying on the street not far from the grey BMW.

Langa said 356 spent cartridges of rifle calibre were also found at the scene.

“Fingerprints and DNA swabs were lifted from the vehicles and firearms. Tests were done on the three deceased in this scene.”

At the third scene, the police found the following items:

•  One assault rifle with filed off serial number;
• Four magazines loaded with 117 live rounds of rifle calibre;
• Two spent cartridges of rifle ammunition; and
• the former military member, who was found dead.

The fourth scene contained an AK-47 rifle with filed off serial number, two magazines loaded with 55 live rounds, one spent rifle cartridge and balaclavas.

Four deceased suspects all with multiple gunshot wounds were found inside a house classified as the fifth scene.

“It was established that the suspects are the ones who fled from scene one and held hostage the occupants of the house,” Langa said.

Items found at the scene include three assault rifle with filed off serial numbers, one rifle with one magazine loaded with 28 live rounds, one rifle with two magazines and 54 live rounds of ammunition, one rifle with one magazine with 31 live ammunition rounds,  and 33 spent cartridges of rifle calibre.

Two spent bullets were found, as well as four cellphones with no sim cards, two gloves, balaclavas and overalls.

“The house had multiple gunshot holes and broken windows. Fingerprints and touch DNA were lifted from the firearms.

“The gloves, overalls and balaclavas were taken to be submitted for DNA analysis,” Langa said.

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