A Kraaifontein family are still in shock after watching gun-wielding masked men blow up a cash van in their neighbourhood on Friday night.
Lauren Mohamed and her mother, Denise Minnies, aunt Elaine Cupido, and cousin Kaylin Cupido, were chatting outside their Windsor Park home when the cash-van heist unfolded before their eyes like something out of a Hollywood movie.
A white Land Rover had parked across the four-way stop at Darwin Road. And as the G4S cash van drew near the corner of Hill Road, shots rang out and the van’s tyres deflated.
Ms Mohamed said two thickset men wearing black balaclava’s jumped from the Land Rover, pointing their guns at the driver of the van.
They ordered him to stop and surrender all the weapons.
Three guards jumped out of the van and ran into a neighbour’s yard. Minutes later, Ms Mohamed heard a loud bang as the robbers blasted their way into the armoured van.
“It was planned so well, they knew exactly what they were doing,” she said.
“After 6pm our street becomes quiet. We have never experienced this in Windsor Park but this all happened so fast. I bet it was less than five minutes to remove the cash and speed off. It was a shock to all and my family and I stood there in shock.”
After the Land Rover sped off, the family ventured into the street where they found a man shaking from shock in the driver’s seat of his parked car.
“This guy started shouting and swearing, he asked what was going on,” said Ms Mohamed.
They heard a beeping sound when they approached the cash van and backed away fearing there might be another bomb.
The police cordoned off the crime scene with tape and paramedics brought out three guards.
Ms Mohamed said one of the men could be seen crying when he looked at the blown-up van.
Provincial police spokesman Captain FC Van Wyk referred questions to the SAPS national office, but it did not respond by the time this edition went to print.
In June, following a spate of cash-van heists, Police Minister Bheki Cele said police would be taking swift action, including using high-power cars, to fight the crime.
“Mostofthemwillbe unmarked,” he said.
G4S did not respond to questions before deadline.
ER24’s Russel Meiring said paramedics arrived on the scene at about 7.30pm and found the blown-up cash van on the left-hand lane of Darwin Street.
The three guards were treated for minor injuries and taken to hospital.