Taxi driver and accomplice caught in robbery scheme
The taxi driver and his accomplice who were seen in the video snatching the iPhone of a woman standing at a bus stop have been fired.
Image: Facebook/Codeta SA
A taxi driver and sliding door operator have been fired after they planned a robbery of a customer saying it was their first time committing a crime.
The woman was targeted after she got off at a bus stop in Belhar on Tuesday while the driver was driving the Delft/Epping route.
According to reports as she got out of the taxi the door operator jumped out and snatched her iPhone and fled the scene in a getaway taxi.
The Cape Organisation for Democratic Taxi Association (CODETA) said that after they saw video footage of the incident they were able to track down the driver involved and recover the stolen phone.
They also interrogated the two thieves and they said that they needed to rob someone as they owed the taxi owner R600 which was due on Monday, however they blew the money.
The driver and operator said that they only planned on robbing one person and that it was their first time robbing someone.
They said they planned on selling the phone in Bellville for R1000 and were going to take the remainder for themselves.
CODETA spokesperson Nceba Enge said that the woman chose not to open a case.
The woman received her stolen cellphone back, however opted not to open a case.
Image: Facebook/CODETA SA
Enge said: “CODETA did not open a case, the person who is supposed to open a case was the lady that got robbed and if she did not open a case there is nothing we can do as CODETA.
“We wanted the lady to open a case, but we could not open the case on her behalf as the law does not allow that. All that we could do on our side was to get the phone back and get those guys.”
They added that the skelms have been fired.
They said: “The taxi driver and his accomplice who were seen in the video snatching the iPhone of a woman standing at a bus stop have been fired. Codeta will write a letter with their photos to all taxi unions to ensure they are not rehired.”