Baseball cap helps crack CIT robbery case as suspect is arrested while already in detention

A 32-year-old man who was already in detention for unrelated cases has been linked to a cash-in-transit robbery in Langa after investigators used a baseball cap found at the crime scene to identify him.

Aphiwe Nozinxezu briefly appeared in the Bishop Lavis Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, 8 September 2026, in connection with the robbery.

He is currently detained on three unrelated matters. His arrest in the CIT case followed the issuing of a warrant of arrest.

The robbery took place on 10 August 2025 at about 11:55 at the Astron Garage on Washington Drive in Langa.

According to the Hawks, an Izi Cash Solutions armoured vehicle had stopped at the garage to collect cash.

The driver remained inside the vehicle while a crew member went into the premises to collect the money. A third crew member stood outside to provide cover.

When the crew member returned with the cash, five armed suspects opened fire on him and the armoured vehicle.

The suspects grabbed the trolley containing the cash before fleeing in an unknown silver-grey vehicle.

The armoured vehicle was left riddled with bullet marks.

The Hawks' National Priority Violent Crimes team investigated the robbery and found a baseball cap abandoned at the scene.

The cap proved to be an important piece of evidence and assisted investigators in identifying and linking Nozinxezu to the robbery.

Nozinxezu appeared in court on Tuesday, where the matter was postponed to 27 November 2026 for a decision by the Director of Public Prosecutions.