The police in KwaZulu Natal (KZN) shot and killed four suspected cash-in-transit armed robbers yesterday. It is alleged that the suspects were travelling on the Escourt freeway in four vehicles when they forced the cash van out of the way, took the firearms of the security officers, bombed the cash van, stole the money before fleeing the scene.

According to the police, the suspects were fleeing the scene when the traffic officers on the freeway spotted them and gave chase and a shootout broke out. Two traffic officers were shot and wounded during the shootout before the suspects tried to flee on foot. KZN SAPS spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda confirmed the incident. "Four suspected cash-in-transit robbers were shot and fatally wounded during a shootout with police in Estcourt on Wednesday afternoon. A number of suspects, who were traveling in three vehicles, forced the armoured cash vehicle to stop and robbed security guards of their firearms before stealing the money. The suspects were then engaged in a shootout with Road Traffic Inspectorate officers, a shootout which saw two officers sustaining injuries," he said.

Netshiunda further said that the Estcourt Highway Patrol officers then responded and were also involved in a shootout with the suspects. "Two AK 47 assault rifles, an R5, a pallet gun and an undisclosed amount of money, suspected to have been robbed from the cash in transit vehicle, were found in possession of the suspects. One of the suspect's vehicle was found to have been reported hijacked in Germiston, Gauteng, earlier this month. Police are still in pursuit of more people," he said.