Croftdene dad murdered in cash-in-transit robbery
The 39-year-old leaves behind his three children and his dear wife, Charlene Hansraj, who explained that Stanley had been in the CIT industry for around 15 years and that this was the first time that they had been robbed.
Over the last three weeks, a spate of cash-in-transit robberies has rocked KZN, claiming the lives of officers and criminals, with the latest victim being a Chatsworth dad, who was tragically killed in one of these brazen heists, on Tuesday.
On Saturday, family and friends bid farewell to their hero, Stanley Hansraj, who will be remembered for his outstanding bravery, courageous spirit and unwavering dedication.
The 39-year-old leaves behind his three children and his dear wife, Charlene Hansraj, who explained that Stanley had been in the CIT industry for around 15 years and that this was the first time that they had been robbed.
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“When I saw the phone number come up on my landline at work, I suspected something. They called me at work and said that he had been injured and that they needed to send someone to fetch me. I began panicking and asked if he was okay and if he was alive. Once I was at their offices, they broke the news to me. He loved his job, so he never thought along the lines of not coming back one day. We always told him to be careful, but he always said to me, ‘Charl, I’m a man of steel. Nothing is going to get me down’,” she said.
Provincial police spokesman, Col Robert Netshiunda confirmed that police are investigating cases of murder, attempted murder and armed robbery following a cash-in-transit robbery, which occurred on Tuesday morning in Folweni.
“Reports indicate that a cash delivery truck was travelling along the M35 when it came under heavy gunfire from suspects, who were driving a white double cab bakkie. When the cash truck finally came to a standstill, the driver managed to run away. One security guard was shot and fatally wounded, whereas one was rushed to hospital with a gunshot wound in the head. The suspects fled the scene with an undisclosed amount of money,” said Col Netshiunda.
Charlene described her husband as soft-spoken, brave, loving, caring and jovial.
She said, “He did not drink or smoke, apart from occasions like Christmas. He always put his job first and got up at 3am for work. He was an early bird. If we went out on a Friday night, he would still be at work on Saturday morning. He worked six days a week, giving the seventh to myself and our family. Stanley always said to me ‘I will call you when I get a chance’. Each morning he sent a message that read, ‘Good morning, my beautiful. Trust you will have a good day. Always pray. Be safe. Be blessed.’ That is the type of man he was.”
year-old man in connection with CIT robberies.
ALS Paramedics spokesperson, Garrith Jamieson, said that on Tuesday, just after 9am, the team responded to reports of a cash-in-transit robbery on the M35 near Folweni.
“Paramedics arrived to find police officers at the scene already. The area was cordoned off. The vehicle was found lying on its side against a property. A quick triage was done by paramedics and one guard was found to have sustained fatal injuries. Unfortunately, there was nothing more paramedics could do for him and he was declared dead at the scene. One guard had sustained critical gunshot wounds and was stabilised at the scene by paramedics before a call was made to the Netcare 911 aeromedical helicopter to airlift him to a level-one trauma unit. A third guard had sustained moderate injuries and was treated by ALS paramedics before being transported to the hospital The M35 was closed in both directions while the police investigated the incident,” said Jamieson.
Apart from being a family man, Stanley still had time for his hobbies, as well as goals and plans for the future.
“He had a bike, he loved his dogs and his family and he loved his job despite its dangers. His company gave him a good send-off and said that they had lost a good guy- a real asset. He was into his fitness, winning the ‘fittest of the fittest’ in Phoenix- there is even a gym set at home. He planned to go overseas and he always told my mum, who he considered to be his own, to sell her house and that we would sell our house. ‘Let’s go away. Let’s get out of this place’, he would say. Just two weeks ago, he took us on a beautiful holiday to Albert Falls. Anyone who required help, he would lend his hand to them. He was always there for people in need. He would take out his money if you saw something you liked, he did not care about the price,” she concluded.
Despite the increase in the number of such robberies in the country, police are hard at work, in efforts to arrest those responsible for these crimes.
Last Friday, police made a breakthrough as they arrested one and killed four suspected robbers, in separate incidents.
Provincial police spokesperson, Brig Jay Naicker, explained that four suspects, who were believed to have been involved in these CIT robberies in the eThekwini district, were fatally wounded in a shootout with police on Friday morning.
“A team comprised of various police disciplines and the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (the Hawks) followed up information after the recent cash-in-transit heists and intelligence- led the law enforcement officers to a house at the corner of Queen Nandi Drive and Sikhindi Road in KwaMashu, which was believed to be a haven for the suspects. When police announced their presence, the suspects started firing gunshots at the police, leaving the men of law with no other alternative but to return fire. A shootout ensued. Four suspects sustained fatal gunshot wounds during the shootout. The suspects, two of whom are from the Limpopo province, were found in possession of four firearms, an AK47 assault rifle, an R5 rifle and two pistols as well as numerous rounds of ammunition. A large quantity of explosives, several vehicle number plates- some of them Limpopo registration plates- as well as signal jammers were also found in possession of the suspects. A manhunt continues for additional suspects. The Independent Police Investigative Directorate has been summoned for further investigations,” said Brig Naicker.
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Col Netshiunda explained the second instance, stating that a 50- year-old man was arrested in connection with CIT robberies.
“An intelligence-driven operation by officers from the eThekwini trio tracking team, working together with provincial crime intelligence officers, operationalised intelligence and tactically approached a house at Hluthankungu just after midnight on Friday, October 6. The suspect was found in possession of two firearms whose serial numbers were filed off. He was also found to be in possession of several rounds of ammunition of various calibres of firearms, a police bullet-resistant vest, 16 channel signal jammers, money bags branded with the names of banking institutions, 12 bank cards, as well as 26 South African green barcoded identity documents. The suspect is also linked to a case of attempted cash-intransit robbery and attempted murder, which occurred on the N2 southbound near Nkombo Bridge in May 2023. During the incident, one suspect was fatally wounded, while the other was injured when their vehicle overturned during a shootout with cashin- transit security guards. The injured suspect was arrested and has been in custody ever since. After due processing, the suspect will appear in court,” said Col Netshiunda.
