Driver of Armored Vehicle Expertly Avoids Assailants
Harrowing dashcam footage from 22 April captured an attempt to rob a cash-in-transit vehicle—an up-armored 70 Series Toyota Land Cruiser. The incident occurred in South Africa and serves as a poignant reminder of the danger that private security personnel face.
The footage shows driver Leo Prinsloo driving on a highway. According to automotive online news magazine The Drive, Prinsloo works for Fortis Pro Active Defence Solutions. At about the 25-second mark in the video, something in the rearview mirror captures Prinsloo’s attention. He appears to be monitoring something for the next 30 seconds when a white pickup truck speeds by, followed by several shots ringing out and impacting the bullet-proof windows. The Drive identifies the assailants as driving a black Audi A5 Sportback.
Prinsloo competently begins evasive driving. The armored vehicle appears to strike at least two vehicles as the assailants closed in for a second round of gunshots, which are seen continuing to impact the reinforced glass. Three minutes and 25 seconds into the video, the Land Rover gets stuck. Prinsloo grabs an assault rifle from his partner and exits the vehicle, but the assailants have fled and, according to The Drive, have not been apprehended.
Prinsloo’s actions show the value of having an experienced security professional. He is a former member of a special operations unit within the South African Police Service and is the lead instructor for Fortis Pro Active’s “Lone Operator” course.
The aftemath... https://t.co/XwgSJIRfVo pic.twitter.com/NTIGkd0Q4E
— Yusuf Abramjee (@Abramjee) April 30, 2021
Lowers & Associates is an international risk mitigation and loss prevention company whose portfolio includes cash-in-transit risk management. The company documents armored car attempted robberies in the United States—there have been four so far in 2021. Using FBI crime data through 2016, Lowers & Associates reports that 49 percent of armored vehicle robbery attempts involved violence. This compares to just 3 percent of bank robberies that involve violence. The company developed an infographic (linked below) to raise awareness and delineate cash-in-transit risk-mitigation steps:
