Arsenal of Anarchy: South Africa’s Cash-in-Transit Crisis
Introduction: A Nation Under Siege Every weekday morning, armored trucks roll out of depots across South Africa, their routes mapped, their timings predictable, their cargo worth millions of rands. These convoys are meant to be moving fortresses, symbols of security and trust. Yet over the past five years, they have become prime targets in a violent cat-and-mouse war where the true vulnerability is measured not in steel, but in cents and seconds. Cash-in-transit (CIT) heists in South Africa have evolved far beyond opportunistic smash-and-grabs. They now resemble paramilitary operations more than traditional street crime. Syndicates plan with meticulous precision: insider leaks, explosives, high-powered firearms, and corrupt officials form the invisible infrastructure of this shadow economy. According to the South African Banking Risk Information Centre (SABRIC, 2023), CIT robberies claimed R351 million in losses in 2023 alone, highlighting a continuous upward trajectory in both f...