Criminal cabbies strike again - Unsuspecting passenger robbed

A 49-year-old businessman, who said he was only taking public transport as his car was at the mechanic, was robbed when he left work last Thursday by men posing as a taxi driver and passengers.

"While I was at a bus stop on Retirement Road, I saw a vehicle drive up and hollered something about Half-Way Tree. Immediately, I just jumped in. It was a seven-seater and I saw two men at the front and nobody at the back," Brown told THE STAR. This was about 6:45 p.m.

"All of a sudden, the passenger at the front turned around and point a gun at me. And then from behind, without me realising, somebody put a knife at my throat," he said. The men searched him and confiscated all his documents and bank cards.

"They pushed my head down into the seat and told me to lie down. They asked me what's the numbers for my debit cards and I couldn't remember immediately so I got some hits in my head until I remembered. After that, they called somebody and give them a number over the phone," he recalled.

"They took my black knapsack with my laptop, my phone, some cash in my pocket and the keys to my shop and my home. My driver's licence and car documents were also in the bag. Then, they keep on driving and stopping. It's like they gave somebody the card to test and once everything worked, they let me off on Warrington Avenue in Cross Roads."

Creating havoc

He immediately reported the incident to the Cross Roads Police Station. The following day, he discovered that $65,000 was taken from his account via his bank card.

Criminals posing as taxi operators and passengers have been creating havoc across the Corporate Area. The St Andrew Central Police yesterday charged two people who allegedly posed as a taxi driver and passenger and robbed two persons on Half-Way Tree Road, St Andrew on Friday, October 23.

Charged with abduction and robbery with aggravation are 25-year-old Sabrina Martin of Daytona Drive, Kingston 20 and 28-year-old Clive Miller of Arnett Gardens, Kingston 14.

Reports from the Half-Way Tree Police are that about 2:10 p.m., the complainants boarded a white Toyota Probox motor car travelling along Mountain View Avenue, believing it was a taxi. Martin and Miller then allegedly drove away with the complainants and stopped on Half-Way Tree Road, where they brandished knives and robbed them.

According to reports, one of the complainants escaped and alerted a police unit. The police responded and nabbed Martin and Miller. Two weeks ago, other persons were arrested on similar charges in the same police division, as well as in St Andrew North.