Soweto Cash-In-Transit Heist Ends In Explosions, Arrests And High-Speed Hunt

A dramatic cash-in-transit (CIT) robbery on Saturday, 10 January 2026, triggered a massive police operation along Elias Motsoaledi Road in Soweto, ending with two suspects in custody.

The brazen attack unfolded in the early hours of the morning when armed suspects ambushed a CIT vehicle and escaped with an undisclosed amount of cash.

Cash Van Rolled, Bombed and Looted

Explaining how the incident unfolded, Gauteng police commissioner Tommy Mthombeni said the security escort was caught off guard by sudden gunfire.

He told journalists that the cash vehicle lost control and overturned during the attack.

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“Out of that, instantly, the robbers then came out and they set the explosive and the cash van exploded. An undisclosed amount of money was taken,” Mthombeni said.

The violent blast left the vehicle destroyed and sent shockwaves through the surrounding area.

Stolen Getaway Cars Found in Meadowlands

Police later identified a second crime scene in Meadowlands, where vehicles believed to have been used in the heist were recovered.

Mthombeni said law enforcement quickly mobilised after obtaining descriptions of the suspects’ vehicles, with Crime Intelligence and the Hawks forming a multidisciplinary task team.

“They followed information approximately three to five kilometres from this crime scene in Meadowlands. Then they ultimately got the vehicles which fit the description.

“The BMW, which is having a bullet hole and they’re saving the cartridges inside the car and Nissan hardbody double cab.”

Investigations revealed both vehicles had been stolen in previous crimes. The Nissan bakkie was reported hijacked in North West in October 2025, while the BMW had been stolen in Randfontein earlier the same year.

Two Suspects Arrested as Police Issue Strong Warning

Police confirmed that two suspects are currently being questioned and are believed to be directly linked to the robbery.

“We have since now got two people, of which we are questioning, and we believe those two vehicles, they are the vehicles which were involved in the cash-in-transit along this route,” Mthombeni said.

No fatalities were reported, but three security guards sustained injuries when the vehicle overturned and were taken to hospital for treatment.

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Police recovered one pistol believed to belong to a security guard, while two other firearms remain missing.

Mthombeni warned that authorities would not back down in the fight against CIT gangs.

“Those people who are engaged [in CIT heists], it’s like they are really attempting suicide and if they are daring, they are not stopping, they’ll meet their match and we will not retreat.

“As we know that we are primarily responsible for the prevention of crime and one would say, they’ll feel like they were not supposed to be born in this world.”

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