Spoils of London heist turn up in SA

Durban cops seize huge haul of pounds stashed in luxury vehicle

As South Africa claims victory in the war on cash-in-transit (CIT) criminals, the country is being drawn into spiralling heists across the world.

This week, hundreds of thousands of British pounds stolen during a London heist made their way to Durban, stashed under the seat of a luxury Mitsubishi Shogun 4x4 vehicle shipped from the UK.

The interception of the shipment, destined finally for Zimbabwe, came after the arrest in London of three men — a Zimbabwean and two Ghanaians.

The attack in London last month involving the trio was one of a staggering 64 in the British capital that month alone. There were 53 in November.

CASH CAR: Superintendent Johan Meeding inspects the vehicle that was shipped from the UK

A comparison of cash-in-transit heists in the two countries reveals that:

• There has been a 24% increase in the UK in the past six months;
  
  
• There has been a 24% decrease in SA in the past three months;
  
  
• There were 308 attacks in London alone last year and some 900 throughout the UK; and
  
  
• There were only 256 attacks last year throughout SA.
  
  

On Monday, members of the Pietermaritzburg Organised Crime Unit tracked down the car after a request by British police made through Interpol.

Superintendent Johan Meeding said that apart from an undisclosed amount of cash, police had also found a hand gun with a silencer as well as clothing in the car.

British investigators, who worked with local police this week, have returned to London.

The suspects — Zimbabwean Taqa Hungwe and Ghanaians Theo-Philius Boateng and Ebeenzer Gyau — have been charged with the December 16 robbery of £40000 from G4S Security, conspiracy to rob on December 16 and conspiracy to rob between July 22 2007 and December 16 last year.

The men are believed to be legal immigrants.

London police this week remained tight-lipped about the Durban bust for fear of jeopardising its investigation. They declined to comment on the involvement of foreigners in soaring cash-in-transit attacks in the capital.

Spokesman Hannah Collyer said they were seeing younger and more “chaotic” offenders who drove around and on seeing a van would follow it while looking for an opportune moment to strike.

She said this meant that they hadn’t necessarily sat down and planned every inch of the crime before going out to commit the offence. The force had historically dealt with “older, highly organised career criminals”, she said.

The British Security Industry Association said this week that it had seen a 24% increase in “often extremely violent” cash-in-transit attacks since July last year compared with the same period in 2007.

“This is a worrying trend as both cash-in-transit couriers and members of the public are being put at risk,” said its chief executive, David Dickson.

Anton Wiid of SA’s Business Against Crime, which compiles quarterly statistics, has attributed the drop in heists to greater co-operation between the banks and security agencies, including the National Intelligence Agency and the police’s crime intelligence unit.

There were 419 heists in 2007, down from 545 in 2006.