Three would-be cash-in-transit robbers were arrested just moments after trying to pull off a heist in Mamelodi West, Tshwane.

According to SAPS spokesman Brigadier Vishnu Naidoo, the armed men robbed two security guards of money boxes containing an undisclosed amount of cash at around 11.45am on Monday.

"These suspects confronted the guards as they were approaching their vehicle outside a shopping mall in Mamelodi West and threatened them with handguns before fleeing with the money boxes," said Naidoo.

Members of the Mamelodi intervention task team, supported by the K9 Unit and local police, intercepted the robbers soon afterwards, just a few streets away from the scene of the crime.

"Further investigations led the team to three different houses, where two pistols were found in one house, the money boxes in a second house and the getaway car at a third house," said Naidoo.

"The serial numbers on the pistols were filed off, the money boxes were tampered with and the recovered Hyundai sedan was reported hijacked in Silverton in April this year.

"Furthermore, the houses where these incriminating items were found do not belong to any of the suspects. The owners of those houses are now also subjects of criminal investigations," he added.

All three suspects have been arrested and will appear in court soon.