Cash-in-transit robbers who blew apart an armoured G4S van in Cape Town on Monday morning were pounced on by police before they had time to load bags of money.

There was pandemonium on Jakes Gerwel Drive when a gang of robbers in four vehicles used commercial explosives to blow apart the cash van‚ scattering banknotes around the wrecked vehicle.

Police spokesperson Colonel Brenda Muridili said the SAPS National Intervention Unit “responded swiftly to the crime scene‚ resulting in a shootout between the robbers and the police.

“The suspects fled the scene in four vehicles and left a suspected stolen grey BMW at the scene.”

Acting national commissioner Lieutenant General Sindile Mfazi commended the swift response by the intervention unit which prevented the robbers from taking bags of money.

They reportedly only fled the scene with cash that was scattered around. “We have declared that the High Density Stabilisation operations‚ launched earlier this month‚ will utilise medium- to high-risk operatives‚ hence the quick response by the [intervention unit]. We will continue to hunt down the perpetrators [who] continue to threaten the authority of the state‚” said Mfazi.

G4S Cash Solutions MD Keith Alberts said the armoured vehicle was attacked while on a cash collection in Athlone.

“A large number of armed robbers opened fire on the vehicle‚ bringing it to a standstill. The robbers used commercial explosives to gain access to the vehicle and‚ at this stage‚ the cash loss is unknown‚” he said.