Faizel Patel, Radio Islam News – 24-05-2018
A forensic and criminal investigation expert has told Radio Islam that that the current spate of cash in transit (CIT) heists has got nothing to do with the upcoming elections in 2019 or elections in general.
There has been an escalation in daring cash-in-transit heists over the past week.
Not even a police station opposite the Jabulani Mall in Soweto could deter the latest brazen criminals with a heist in broad daylight, which resulted in a woman being shot.
Dr Hennie Lochner a senior lecturer in forensic and criminal investigation science at Unisa in Pretoria says the CIT robberies not politically motivated.
“From my research, I must put this very straight. Cash in transit robberies is not being committed for any political party or any political official. If there’s an affiliation, then it’s by mistake. That is totally nonsense.”
Lochner, a former detective who has interviewed 21 convicted robbers says the heists are planned between 5 and 16 months ahead of the crime.
He says in every heist, there are always people of the criminal justice system involved including police, lawyers, magistrates, prosecutors and the metro police.
“These people plan, they observe, they scout. We must remember it is their occupation. So it’s absolutely planning and if you look at their actions, you can see they people have been hired because of their speciality.”
Lochner has urged police to go back to the drawing board saying the robbers are the most dangerous people in the South African criminal underworld and what makes them dangerous is their psyche that tells them that the money in the cash vans belongs to them and they will protect their money in any way necessary.
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