Late on Monday afternoon, in broad daylight, criminals blew up and then looted a cash-in-transit (CIT) van in Northriding, Johannesburg.

Late afternoon CIT robberies in Johannesburg seem to be happening often these days, with the last one ending in a shootout between the Rustenburg Flying Squad, K9 Unit, and a group of suspects after police followed up on information about a heist in Geelhoutpark.

The incident on Monday caught the attention of social media users after the video was widely circulated, for reasons other than the danger that CIT van drivers stand the risk of being subjected to whenever they hit the road.

The getaway vehicles, they pointed out, were luxury cars.

That video, before we continue:

ARMED ROBBERY & HOSTAGE : DOUGLAS CNR OLIVENTHOUT RD. NORTH RIDING. COJ. GP. MONEY TRUCK CREW ROBBED. PERPS IN GETAWAY;
1. BLACK PORCHÈ PANAMERA COUPÈ. HK94RXGP
2. BLACK VOLVO XC60 JB44ZTGP. pic.twitter.com/6y3mc02RjH

— REZA (@crimeairnetwork) November 2, 2020

National police spokesperson Col Brenda Muridili, reports TimesLIVE, said guards were collecting cash at a food outlet in Bellairs, Randburg. The cash was then driven to Olievenhout Street in Northriding where the incident took place.

The video above shows the criminals, allegedly wearing Fidelity jackets, loading their loot into a Porsche Panamera, and a Volvo SUV.

The Porsche Panamera, new, ranges in price from around R1.5m to R3.6m for a top of the range version.

A Volvo XC60, similar to the one in the video, sells new for around R765,000 up to R900,000.

Not your average getaway car.

Anneliese Burgess, author of the book Heist, says that this is an odd robbery all considered.

Burgess, however, said the use of luxury vehicles as getaway cars was not strange.

“Luxury vehicles are often used because they make for good, fast getaway vehicles.”

Fidelity CEO Wahl Bartmann says that the company is looking into the incident.

No arrests have been made.

[source:timeslive]