Camperdown, KwaZulu-Natal – December 3, 2025 – Four suspects linked to a series of cash-in-transit (CIT) robberies were killed in a fierce gun battle with police and private security personnel in the early hours of Wednesday morning near Camperdown, authorities confirmed.
The confrontation unfolded after a multi-agency operation that had been monitoring the group for several weeks. According to statements from law enforcement, the suspects were believed to be responsible for multiple CIT heists across KwaZulu-Natal, including an incident in Bulwer on Tuesday where they allegedly targeted a cash van. Following that robbery, tracking teams from the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI), commonly known as the Hawks, along with local police units, pinpointed the suspects’ location in a rural area outside Camperdown.
Shaheen Suleiman, owner of Magma Security and Investigations, a private firm involved in the pursuit, stated that his team had been actively following the gang due to their pattern of CIT attacks throughout the province. “They have been carrying out CIT robberies all over the place,” Suleiman said, emphasizing the coordinated effort with police to intercept the suspects before they could strike again.
The shootout began when officers and security members approached the suspects’ hideout. The group, heavily armed, opened fire on the responders, leading to an exchange of gunfire that lasted several minutes. Four suspects were fatally wounded during the encounter and pronounced dead at the scene. No injuries were reported among the police or security personnel involved.
At the location, investigators recovered three firearms from the suspects, along with an undisclosed amount of cash believed to be proceeds from recent robberies and explosive materials commonly used in CIT operations to breach armored vehicles. The recovery of these items underscores the violent nature of the crimes the group is accused of committing.
The operation involved specialized units, including the Durban Tactical Response Team (TRT), Pietermaritzburg K9 unit, and eThekwini Metro Police, in addition to the Hawks and Magma Security. KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi arrived at the scene shortly after the incident to oversee the investigation. Mkhwanazi noted that intelligence gathered over the past year had linked the suspects to heists in districts such as King Cetshwayo and Harry Gwala, with the group originating from the Empangeni area.
This incident marks a significant development in ongoing efforts to curb CIT robberies in KwaZulu-Natal, which have seen a rise in coordinated attacks involving explosives and automatic weapons. Police have not released the identities of the deceased suspects pending notification of next of kin and further forensic analysis.
An investigation into the shootout is underway, standard procedure for such encounters, to ensure compliance with use-of-force protocols. Additional details on the recovered items and the suspects’ full criminal history are expected to be released as the probe continues.
The area around Camperdown, located west of Pietermaritzburg in the Umgungundlovu District Municipality, remains under heightened security as teams process the scene. Local residents have been advised to report any suspicious activity related to similar crimes.
For more on CIT security measures and updates from KwaZulu-Natal police, follow ongoing coverage from provincial authorities.
Source: Dasen Thathiah
