The scourge of deadly cash-in-transit heists in the country has declined significantly.

In releasing the latest crime statistics on Thursday, the police revealed that heists had decreased by 23.1%.

The drop saw cash-in-transit heists decreasing from 238 in the 2017/2018 financial year to 183 in the 2018/2019 financial year.

Gauteng again was the top province with 62 heists (down from 80 in the 2017/2018 financial year), with the Eastern Cape the only province in the country to record an increase in the number of heists (up from 23 in 2017/2018 financial year, to 46 in the 2018/2019 financial year).

Bank robberies have dropped significantly over previous years, from 93 in 2009/2010 to four in 2018/2019.