The police in the North West have launched a manhunt for suspected robbers who blew up a cash van during a cash-in-transit heist yesterday near Mogwase.

CASH VAN BLOCKED BY HEAVILY ARMED MEN

It is alleged that a cash-in-transit van with two security officers inside was travelling from Moruleng village to Mogwase at around 6 pm when, along the way, at the Letsheng section, a van was blocked by a Mercedes Benz sedan that came from the side road. According to spokesperson Colonel Sam Tselanyane, a number of heavily armed suspects emerged and started firing shots at the escort vehicle that came to a halt not far from the scene, and the crew managed to flee unharmed. Another BMW vehicle blocked the road for other road users.

ROBBERS MADE AWAY WITH AN UNDISCLOSED AMOUNT OF MONEY 

Tselanyane said that the two security officers inside the cash van were forced out of the vehicle at gunpoint and robbed of their firearms. "An unconfirmed number of suspects used explosives to blow up the cash van and took an undisclosed amount of cash. Moreover, the Mercedes Benz and the cash van caught fire as a result of explosives, and the suspects fled from the scene driving in three vehicles that included a BMW, a white Toyota Fortuner, and a white Ford Ranger double cab bakkie,"he said, adding that no one sustained injuries during the incident and the suspects are unknown and still at large. The case is being investigated by the Hawks.