Cash heist at Fidelity base: 72-hour activation plan initiated

National Commissioner of the South African Police Service (SAPS) General Khehla John Sitole, has directed that the 72-hour Activation Plan be immediately mobilised following a cash heist at the Fidelity Guard Base in Van Riebeck Street, Hermanstad, Hercules in Gauteng on Saturday morning 21 November 2020.  

ARMED MEN STORM FIDELITY BASE 

According to Brigadier Vishnu Naidoo, a group of armed men, dressed in what appeared to be Fidelity uniform and balaclavas, entered the premises and held the guards at gunpoint and assaulted some employees before robbing them of an undisclosed amount of money.

“Various disciplines from the South African Police Service, including Crime Intelligence and forensic experts as well as the Hawks, which forms part of the Activation Plan, are currently at the crime scene conducting preliminary investigations,” Naidoo said. 

“Members of the top management of the Fidelity Group are also at the scene assisting detectives while also trying to ascertain the extent of the loss incurred,” he added. 

SAPS are appealing to anyone who has any information on the Fidelity base robbery to please contact the SAPS on the Crime Stop number 086 00 10111. 

Information may also be channelled through the SAPS MySAPSApp, an application which can be downloaded on any Android or iPhone via Play Store. All information will be treated with strictest confidence and callers may remain anonymous.

Yusuf Abramjee posted a statement from Fidelity Services Group CEO Wahl Bartmann, whereby he confirmed that armed suspects gained entry to the facility in Pretoria in the early hours of the morning.

“They were not able to access the vaulting area. We are currently reviewing all our video footage with our specialised intervention units and the South African Police Services,” he said. 

RANDBURG CIT ROBBERY 

Apart from the robbery at the Fidelity base on Saturday, a cash van in Randburg was allegedly hijacked by two suspects about three weeks ago. 

South African Police Services (SAPS) Colonel Brenda Muridili confirmed the incident on Tuesday 3 November saying that the Randburg CIT robbery took place at around 17:30 on Monday. 

“At about 17:30, security guards were collecting cash at a food outlet in Bellairs when the cash van was hijacked by two suspects with the driver still inside,” said Muridili. 

According to Muridili, the cash van was driven to Olievenhout Street and parked at an open veld before the suspects allegedly used explosives to bomb it open. 

The suspects then managed to flee the scene with an undisclosed amount of money.