Gauteng police have arrested a man linked to a foiled cash-in-transit heist in Dobsonville, Soweto, on Monday morning.

Police spokesperson Col Brenda Muridili said the arrest came after a “72-hour activation plan” was implemented to mobilise resources after two cash-in-transit robberies in Gauteng on Monday morning.

According to Muridili, a security cash van was shot at by unknown suspects about 9am.

“The security officers retaliated. A police vehicle in the vicinity sustained bullet holes but no member was injured while a community member, a woman in her mid-twenties, sustained a gunshot wound on her hand during the crossfire and was taken to hospital. No money was taken,” she said.

During the arrest, police recovered six rifles and ammunition as well as three vehicles. Muridili said the suspect will be appearing in court soon.

In a separate incident, Muridili said police responded to a CIT robbery that occurred in Westonaria around 11am.

“A security officer had just collected cash from a store when he was shot at by an unknown suspect who grabbed the money back from the security officer and fled the scene on foot,” she said.

Muridili said police recovered a handgun with ammunition and a vehicle with a rifle with the ammunition inside a few metres from the scene of the crime.

She said cash-in-transit robberies are a priority for police and police managers are aligning plans to curb this crime to the “safer festive season operations” that are being rolled out nationally.

TimesLIVE