Experiences and Outcomes of Engaging with BG’s – by: Hein Rabie

Day: Friday
Date: 31 October 1997
Place: Engen Service Station Pamona, Kempton
Time: Approx 09:25

At the time I was working for Standard Bank South Africa, as what they called a I.PS, (Internal Protection Officer). We were tasked with filling and servicing all the ATM’s in the Johannesburg area. We were basically doing Cash in Transit with a twist and that was that we had an unarmed person, the Custodian on-board who we also had to protect. He was basically in charge of the money in the vehicle, filling the ATM and doing the routine maintenance on them.

On the 31st of October 1997 I was allocated to the Kempton Park and surrounding area run. I was Crew Commander and rode Shotgun, my buddy, Jan was the Driver, 3rd man or Key-man, (he carried the second key to all the machines, which had to be synchronised with the custodian’s key to unlock the machine) was Sithole. We loaded up our Van with 23 Million Rand; checked FA’s, put on our BP vests and started to discuss our route and strategy for the day.

As we start heading out of the basement the Custodian’s Nokia 3310 started to ring. It was the ATM control centre. The ATM at the Engen Garage in Pamona is down with a card reader error and we are instructed to go there first. I was not impressed! A card reader error was always suspect as it could be jammed on purpose to set a trap. It was also not planned for the route as the machine would have enough cash till the next day. Besides, I hated the site. It was way too much open ground to secure, it was open right around the building, meaning that you could be hit from all four sides, had two entrances/exits far apart, the site was too close to the highways and Thembisa for easy getaways and there was an Industrial park directly behind it with only a Palisade fence between.   Besides it’s the end of the month, and a Friday. Not a good combination for Cash in Transit! BG’s always knew that we carried the maximum cash at the end of the month. We had to go there. There was no other way. Those days the only way you could pay for fuel was with cash or a petrolcard, you couldn’t use your Debit Card like today, and if the ATM was down and they couldn’t draw money to pay for the fuel, customers would just go to the next Filling Station and that would be bad for the owner of the Service Station.

So we arrive at Pamona Service Station. We stop at the entrance to the Service station and check out the area. Only 2 Guys in blue Overalls lying on the lawn. Everything seems ok. As I exit the Passenger side of the van, I already have my CZ 75 B, one-up, cocked, thumb on the safety, 45 degrees in a safe direction. I had a shotgun in the vehicle aswell, but as I said, it was too much open ground for a Shotty to be accurate.

The van proceeds past me to go around the back of the building to check. He drops the Key-man three quarters of the way down the back and advises me over the radio that he is coming up to the side of the building where the ATM cubicle is situated. I advise that all seems to be in order and that he may proceed. During this time I am making my way to the cubicle and as I arrive I go into the bathrooms which are situated next to the ATM to check for anyone that may be hiding in there. All ok. The Van pulls up to the cubicle. I advise him the Key-man and myself were in position and that the Custodian could disembark. All was well, so far so good. Custodian and the Key-man are safely in the Cubicle! The worst part is over. After a few minutes the Key-man exits after unlocking the machine and takes up position at the back of the Service station close to the Palisades in order to be able to see down the alley-way that ran behind the building. The driver stayed in the Van, with the engine running, as per our Standard Operating Procedure. The logic behind this was that if you needed a quick getaway the driver was ready and the engine would be running already. The other reason was that most of the time the target was the vehicle and that if the van drove off it would minimize the treat to the crew outside on the ground and make them less of a target. The van windows were also tinted way passed the maximum allowed by law, meaning that BG’s would not know if there was anyone inside the vehicle or not.

A few minutes later the Driver, Jan, calls me over the radio and asks if I could take over from him as he needed the restroom and I was a the only other driver on the crew. We proceeded to swop and I got in behind the wheel. Jan was on his way to the bathroom when he saw the owner of the Service Station coming towards him and stops. I can see out of the corner of my eye that the Owner is chewing off his ear, probably telling him how many customers he has lost due to the ATM being down… Suddenly I notice a Red Ford Courier Bakkie driving slowly through the forecourt. I can see the driver and three guys in Blue Overalls on the back. So I pick up the radio to make the guys outside aware. “Sithole, check die Bakkie, die ding lyk Suspect! Ek gaan die nommerplaat check…” As I said this the driver turns his head and looks right at me. Calmly Sithole replies: “ Ja-nee, hier kom hulle…” At this stage I have the Mike in my hand, and I engage reverse gear with the old “Dog-Leg” gearlever and put down the handbrake, just in case. As I start bringing the Mike up to my mouth to Radio the Control room when I see Mr. Red Courier bakkie suddenly start to accelerate and turn sharply towards me…he is headed straight at me in an attempt to block me off.

It was a Set-up!!!The Shit has just hit the fan! Big time! Its game on!!

I drop the radio and the clutch at the same time. I have never heard a fully Armoured Cash Van spin its tyres like that before. Then I hear the first round of the battle…a Shotgun round. One of the guys on the back of the bakkie was on his feet waving a pistol-grip Shotty in the air. I look over my right to see if I can see Sithole and suddenly out of nowhere I see a second Ford Courier Bakkie, Cream and white, come flying around the back. The plan was probably to block me in from in front and behind, however, I doubt that they expected me to be moving already or the driver overshot. This was the bakkie that Sithole was trying to warn me about. I can see a man standing on the back of the bakkie, holding an AK-47 in his hands. I swear it looked like a chrome AK, but it was most probably the sun making it look shiny. Then the AK starts barking! I don’t know who or what he is shooting at. I am expecting the round to start hitting my vehicle at any moment. I know that I am relatively safe in the van, but if they manage to cut me off, I will be a sitting duck. In the meantime I still have the Red Courier Bakkie coming at me trying to block me in from the front. I somehow managed to make a “Reverse-turn-forward”, manoeuvre, without touching the brakes or stopping, which would make many a Secret Service Agents blush! I remember seeing the red bakkie still trying to get in front of me as I switched from reverse to 1st – gear. All I am thinking is: “Just don’t stall…Don’t stall!!” Somehow I pull out under him and as he smashes into the side of my van, I just kept going. No time to swop details and I somehow doubt that he was going to report the accident to his insurance! I was now flying down the back of the building, the direction that the Cream Bakkie with Mr. Ak-47 had come from.

As I come out from behind the building I am worried that the cream bakkie would now come from the other side of the forecourt and try and cut me off, and I know the Red Bakkie is still coming from my six! Suddenly I see a white 3-series BMW reversing out from behind the petrol pumps at a moerse spoed! Now I don’t know if this guy is with the BG’s and an accomplice or just some guy in his Beemer who just got the crap scared out of him? The Beemer comes to a standstill right in my path, and I can see the face of a very pale driver with his jaw on the floor. All I am thinking is: “don’t move, stay where you are! I’ll go around you!” I think the guy just froze right there as I swerved out and barrelled past him. Finally I get to the exit of the Service Station and thank goodness there was no traffic and I planted my foot on the accelerator. I need to call for backup! I start feeling around for the Mike of the radio but can’t find it. I manage to locate the cord of the radio and start to tug at it, hoping that it would bring the mike out of its hiding place. That’s when I realize with shock what had happened! When I dropped the Microphone, the cord got stuck between the steering wheel and the steering column and as I was driving and turning and steering, the cord had gotten stuck deeper and deeper in the gap between the two, and was now totally stuck! I manage to locate the microphone but I can’t get it up to mouth to talk into it. I would have to bend down to get closer. At this stage my foot was planted flat down on the accelerator and I was trying to get every bit of speed I could out of the van, most probably still being chased by Pissed off BG’s with big guns. I have no choice! I have to call for help!

“Beheer, Beheer! Romeo -9!” I chipped in while another vehicle was reporting their position. “Beheer hulle slat ons by Pamona! Hulle skiet!” (“Control, Control! Romeo -9! Control we are being hit at Pamona! They are shooting!”)

I have no clue where I am or where I am going. I cross a highway bridge and then it becomes a single lane with dip in the road up ahead. I’m still busy with the radio when out of nowhere I see a traffic light coming up as it turns to red and an old model Merc stopping for it. I am going too fast and I can’t stop. I don’t know if I am still being tailed or not. Luckily there is no other traffic and I overtake the Merc at the Red light.

Where the hell am I going? I have to turn back! First I need to stop and try do get the radio unjammed from the steering column. I need to get back to check on the rest of the crew. Are they all ok? I know the two vehicles followed me away from them, but were there other BG’s around that we were not aware of??

Eventually I see a road coming up on my left. I check my mirrors but can’t see anything behind me and take the turn and a little further I see a side street and go down it and stopped next to an open field. I immediately draw my FA and place it on the dashboard in front of me and get to work on the radio cord. I managed to free it just enough to be able to use it. Now I start to panic because I start to think how bad it would be if the BG’s were still after me and caught me alone in this side street in the middle of nowhere. I have to start moving, get back to the rest of the crew, but I am hesitant because I don’t know where the BG’s are. They might still be looking for me. I have to risk taking the same road back as I don’t know the area or any other way. As I get back onto the main road I hear the rotors of a chopper coming in low and a few seconds later I see what looks to be a Military Chopper passing very low over the roof of the van and then turn back and circle me. That’s when I knew I was ok; these guys were here to check on me. I attempted to raise the rest of the crew over the radio and at first panicked because I received no reply. After some frantic calling them over the radio I heard one of our other vehicles calling me. They told me that they could hear my crew replying to me but that for some reason I was probably not hearing them. I asked the other vehicle to establish comms with my crew to find out if they were ok. They came back to me saying that the guys were ok and that the SAP was on site. No injuries!!! Thank f***!

A few minutes later I, cautiously, drove back into forecourt of the Service station and pulled up next to the ATM cubicle. The rest of the Crew were standing talking to two Detectives. Jan still had his CZ – 75 in his hand, Sampie, our Custodian was sucking nervously at his Gunston. Sithiole was wearing a toothless grin. But something looked strange. Then it hit me…He had his Bulletproof Vest on the wrong way around. I jumped out and joined them. We all shook hands and grinned at each other, mixed feelings. It was over! We hadn’t just survived a Hold Up or Attempted Robbery. We survived an Assault. These guys came to take us out!

Still on an adrenalin-high we started talking about what had happened and I could hear what happened to them.

Jan said that as he was talking to the owner of the service station, when he heard my warning over the radio, but could not immediately see the Red Bakkie till it was coming straight at the van. He turned and shoved the owner into the Ladies bathroom, which was behind him and to the right. He then drew his FA and ducked into the men’s bathroom. As he got into the bathroom, he saw that the window was wide open and he moved toward it. As he got to the window he saw the Van coming up and the Red bakkie close behind with one BG standing on the back with an AK-47. Instinctively he fired at the driver of the bakkie first, but then as the Bakkie passed him he started shooting at the BG with the AK. Suddenly the BG with the AK fell flat on the back of the Bakkie. He thought that the BG had probably dropped to take cover. Jan said he could still see the AK sticking straight up in the air as they rounded the corner and out of sight in pursuit of the Cashvan. I asked him how many rounds he had fired, but he had no clue. I asked him to check. He did a quick mag change, (still not believing the ordeal was finally over), and handed me the mag that was in his FA originally. I checked the magazine and counted 10 rounds in the magazine. He told me that he had loaded 15 + 1 that morning. He had fired 6 rounds at the BG’s in the battle. In hindsight I was glad that he had not incapacitated the driver as this would have meant that the BG’s would have had to flee on to get away and this could have been a bad scenario.

Sithole said that he saw the cream Ford bakkie coming down the back of the service station building before he saw the red bakkie and immediately knew there was kak and that was when he informed me over the radio. As he turned to look for cover he saw 3 armed BG’s coming at him. He was boxed in. he couldn’t go to the building, which was to his 11’o clock position as that was where the shooting was happening and from his 2’o clock position came the 3 BG’s. The only way he could go was behind him toward the Industrial Park, but there was the small issue of a Palisade Fence between where he was and the Industrial area. The only solution was to go under the fence. And that’s just what he did. That is how his Bulletproof got to doing a 360 on his body! The vest got stuck on the bottom of the fence as he was sliding through and he had to twist his whole body to rip it free from the spikes. He then ran into the Industrial Park and ran into one of the little factories.

The Detectives informed us about an hour after the incident that they had found the Red Bakkie between the Shacks in Thembisa. They had found blood in the driver seat and a lot more on the back of the bakkie. They also found surgical gloves and spent shell casings from a AK-47. So, Jan was wrong in thinking that the guy with the AK was taking cover; it was because he had hit his target and that the BG had dropped from taking a round. It was evident from the blood in the driver seat that he must have hit both his Targets. We can only hope that they paid the price for pursuing the career that they had.

A Short while later our H.O.D department arrived on the scene with a new toy for me to cuddle. A brand new LM-5 with 2 x 30 round Magazines, which none of the other vehicles were issued with yet, to keep me all warm and fuzzy inside. We then got back into the Van to complete our Run for the day…

I think the worst part was when the adrenalin wore off! You truly feel crap. It feels like a bad hangover: Headaches, Nausea, and Dizziness.

That night when I went to bed the last thing I heard before falling asleep was that first round from the shotgun going off…

Looking back and thinking about what happened, many people will think that this must be one of the worst situations to be in or to have gone through. They may think that we got lucky. I have to differ. There might have been some luck involved, but the whole crew knew what to do and I believe that that is the main reason we survived, we did the right thing. Many of my friends and Colleagues that I worked with over the years were not that fortunate.

This experience taught me a few valuable and necessary lessons:

• SOP’s are there for a reason – If there was nobody sitting in the vehicle ready to get the hell out of there the situation would have been worst. It would have been one hell of a gunfight, which I doubt would have turned out to be in our favour as we were outgunned by far. The target that day was clearly the money in the Van, the Jackpot, and by driving away it forced the BG’s to either chase me and leave the Crew on the ground or abort their mission.
• Always carry with a round in the chamber – There really is no time to worry about getting a round in the chamber.
• Never underestimate your enemy – they won’t always go for “Soft Targets”- These guys could have chosen to hit us inside a mall or gone just for the cash being carried by the Custodian from the Vehicle to an ATM, instead they attempted to hit an Armoured Vehicle.
• I now know that I will act when needed and not freeze up.
• Trust your gut instinct – I thought this could be a trap but thought I was just being edgy and paranoid. In hind sight to me it was like sticking your hand in the fire and thinking it won’t burn because these things only happen to other people…Dum!
• Anticipate trouble and prepare accordingly.
• Working in the Cash in Transit Industry:
  • You can NEVER let down your guard, your mind needs to always be “Condition Orange/Red”
  • You should never think that you and you crew may get “hit” one day – You should always be thinking it may happen today – “am I ready…?”
• I still hate Pomona Service Station to this day….

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