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Monday night unfolded in high drama as a sting operation in Khayelitsha, Cape Town, erupted in violence, leaving eight suspects dead and five others in custody, as police thwarted a planned cash-in-transit robbery.

Hawks spokesperson Brigadier Novela Potelwa revealed that a multidisciplinary team of intelligence operatives, special task force members, and security company officials were hot on the trail of a potential cash-in-transit heist when they swooped down on the would-be robbers in Town Two, Khayelitsha.

“As the team approached the suspects, the would-be robbers started firing shots at police who retaliated,” she said via News24. “As a consequence, eight suspects were shot dead and five were arrested.”

Authorities seized a formidable arsenal during the operation, including seven AK-47 rifles, two R5 rifles, one R4 rifle, a Dashprod rifle, two 9mm pistols, and three improvised explosive chargers, along with numerous ammunition magazines.

Potelwa said that the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI) detectives are hard at work with investigations and following up on additional information.

#sapsWC #CITRobbery foiled as police multidisciplinary team pounces on would-be robbers leaving 8 dead. A Multidisciplinary team comprising DPCI members, intelligence operatives, Special Task Force members, security company officials following up on vital information about a… pic.twitter.com/ANKtkKh6Vx

— SA Police Service 🇿🇦 (@SAPoliceService) August 6, 2024

Daily Maverick notes that the deadly sting operation was part of ongoing efforts by the police to combat the surge of cash-in-transit heists in the area, a crime that has been on the rise across South Africa.

A senior police officer involved in the investigation revealed that one of the deceased suspects hailed from KwaZulu-Natal and had been linked to several cash-in-transit robberies in that province. The gang, according to the officer, had allegedly planned to execute a major robbery in Cape Town before retreating to KZN to evade capture.

A local resident, who asked to remain anonymous, described the scene as a war zone:

“It was war,” she said. “Over 50 shots were fired, and it sounded like the movies my children watch with soldiers. We are relieved that the police intervened before they could carry out their plan. We live in fear here because after committing robberies, they often shoot in the sky to celebrate.”

Another community member said the police should not stop and must make Khayelitsha safe again as they “miss watching children play outside safely,” she said.

Premier Alan Winde commended the swift action of the police this time, noting how this is “proof that when coordinated, intelligence- and evidence-based policing are implemented, violent crime can be prevented”.

However, he said he is “deeply concerned about the calibre of weaponry the suspects were allegedly armed with”, concluding that “We must work closer together and do everything possible to take all illegal weapons off our streets to make our communities safer.”

[sources:news24]