A would-be robber was killed and three of his comrades wounded in a shoot-out with the police during a botched cash-in-transit robbery.

The incident occurred last Friday. According to provincial police spokesperson Lt Col Ronel Otto, the police acted on a tip-off that the robbers were planning to rob a Coin Security vehicle which was en route to offload money at a local ATM at Mogwadi (Dendron).

"The four suspects, driving a sedan vehicle, blocked the [security] vehicle and forced it to a standstill," said Otto. Unfortunately for the robbers, the police were watching them from a distance and intervened as they were about to open the van.

All hell broke loose as the suspects started shooting at the police. “Police members retaliated and shot and injured the four suspects,” said Otto. All four were taken to hospital, where one later succumbed to his injuries.

During their investigations, said Otto, police officers confiscated two 9mm firearms and two vehicles. One of the vehicles was parked 12 kilometres from the scene, and police suspect that it might have been the robbers’ getaway vehicle.

Neither the police nor the Coin Security guards involved in the shoot-out were injured.

Otto confirmed that investigations into the origins of the weapons and vehicles are continuing.