Police warn communities against looting of CIT crime scenes

Police have sent out a strong warning to community members that looting at cash-in-transit crime scenes is a crime.

On Monday, the bucketloads of cash were looted after a cash-in-transit vehicle was attacked at Dobsonville in Soweto.

“The South African Police Service(SAPS) wishes to send out a stern warning to community members that looting at cash-in-transit crime scenes is a crime…” pic.twitter.com/0IJlLhmtuS

— Yusuf Abramjee (@Abramjee) June 16, 2020

In videos of the incident, community members can be seen frantically scrambling for left-over cash.

“Cash-In-Transit heist crime scenes can often be very dangerous particularly when explosives are used in such robberies. It is for this reason that we warn members of the community that in some instances, it is possible that not all explosives were detonated at the time when the robbery was committed,” says Police Spokesperson Athlenda Mathe.

“This therefore poses a risk for the detonator to explode in their presence posing a risk for the loss of life. Furthermore, when a robbery is committed, the area now becomes a crime scene and those looting at such crime scenes often contaminate the scene which will constitute a crime of theft as well as defeating the ends of justice,” explains Mathe.

#sapsHQ The #SAPS wishes to send out a stern warning to community members that looting at cash-in-transit crime scenes is a crime. #CIT #CrimeStop MEhttps://t.co/06VZem5Ex7 pic.twitter.com/uqFbygDLBY

— SA Police Service ?? (@SAPoliceService) June 16, 2020

The latest incident comes two weeks after dozens of people rushed to the scene of an armed robbery in Krugersdorp and helped themselves to the cash that lay on the street.