A 30-year-old man arrested for an attempted cash-in-transit heist in Brits was a former police officer, SA Police Services said on Thursday.

National Director Sally de Beer said Moses Mmotla had been dismissed from the SAPS before the attempted heist on Tuesday.

Mmotla was initially arrested in Lenasia in April 2007 on charges of robbery, rape and assault.

Mmotla was dismissed from the police force on 13 August following disciplinary action taken as a result of his arrest.

He was awaiting trial at the time of the attempted robbery.

Mmotla and five other men were arrested on Tuesday for allegedly attempting to rob a Protea Coin van on Lethlabile Road, five kilometres from Brits.

"This success can be attributed to the excellent co-operation and sharing of information between the South African Police Service and the private security industry," De Beer said.

On Tuesday, police received information that the cash van from Protea Coin would be attacked when it arrived to refill an automatic teller machine (ATM) in the area.

"The detectives, supported by members of the Pretoria Crime Combating Unit, held observation in the vicinity of the ATM and identified the suspects," she said.

Police decided to arrest the six men as soon as the cash-in-transit van stopped to drop off money.

Police seized three firearms with ammunition and confiscated two vehicles.

The six men appeared before the Brits Magistrate's Court on Wednesday. They were remanded in custody until they appeared again on 18 November.

The other five men were Mpho Mokoena (43), Modise Kgaphola (30), Mthethwa Kekana (29), Sipho Madonsela (29) and Bernard Manganyi (30), de Beer said.

Sapa