Police have launched a manhunt after a cash-in-transit van was blown up on the M25 near Duffs Road in KwaMashu, KwaZulu-Natal, just after 17:00 on Friday, 28 August 2026. SAPS spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda confirmed the manhunt, while ALS Paramedics spokesperson Massimo Galassi said two guards were inside the van at the time of the explosion.
“We found that one cash-in-transit van had been blown up before arrival and there were two guards in the van,” Galassi said, as reported by eNCA. The condition of the two guards and whether anyone was injured has not been officially confirmed.
The incident was independently confirmed by eNCA and Briefly, though the exact number of suspects and whether any cash was stolen remain unconfirmed by police. Some reports place the incident near the KwaMashu-Phoenix off-ramp, with accounts varying on whether the attack occurred on the M25 or the M52.
The KwaMashu attack follows a related police operation three days earlier, on 25 August 2026, when SAPS officers in Cato Manor arrested two suspects found in possession of an AK-47 assault rifle and four fully loaded magazines. Netshiunda said the suspects told police the weapons were intended for a cash-in-transit robbery planned for that same day.
“Police in Cato Manor were doing their routine crime prevention and stop-and-search duties when they spotted a silver Toyota Etios which was parked at Bonela sports field along Raymond Road,” Netshiunda said, as reported by IOL. A search of the vehicle produced the rifle and magazines, and the two arrested suspects were wounded during a subsequent exchange of gunfire with officers.
Cash-in-transit robberies remain a persistent threat across South Africa, particularly in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng, where armed groups routinely target armoured vehicles on major highways using explosives and high-calibre weapons. Friday evening’s attack follows a pattern of CIT incidents in the province, with the 25 August arrests demonstrating that police had prior intelligence about planned robberies in the Durban area.
What remains unknown is whether the 28 August KwaMashu heist is directly linked to the 25 August Cato Manor arrests, the extent of any injuries to the two guards, and whether bystanders were affected. This reporter will seek an update from SAPS KwaZulu-Natal by 09:00 on Saturday, 29 August.