Taxi driver robbed by passengers in Johor, suspects nabbed four hours later

KOTA TINGGI, Johor - A taxi driver in his 70s was robbed at knifepoint by two passengers in Johor after ferrying them on a 40-minute ride.

Kota Tinggi district police chief Hussin Zamora said the two suspects, in their 30s, got into the victim’s taxi at around 3.50pm on Saturday in the suburb of Gelang Patah bound for Pengerang.

“When they reached the Thai San Kong temple near the destination, the suspects were said to have whipped out a folding knife and pointed it at the back of the driver’s waist.

“The suspects told the victim to hand over his valuables, so the elderly man gave them his mobile phone, watch and RM400 ($S120). The suspects took the items and fled into the bushes nearby,” said Mr Hussin in a statement on Sunday.

The victim immediately lodged a police report and about four hours later, a team from the Kota Tinggi police headquarters arrested the two suspects near the scene and recovered the stolen items.

“One of the suspects has tattoos of a spider and centipede on his left chest area and right arm, leading us to believe he is part of a gang.

“Both men also have past criminal and drug records, where one of them was wanted for a criminal case reported in Serendah in 2022 and Rawang, Selangor, in 2010,” added Mr Hussin.

The suspects have been remanded for seven days starting from Sunday for investigation under Section 117 of the Criminal Procedure Code. THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK