PETALING JAYA, April 8 — Two gangs desperate for quick cash turned their attention to taxi drivers in the Klang Valley, where a whopping 63 cases of assault and robberies were reported since the beginning of the year.

It was recently revealed that a gang of robbers, who flagged down taxis from prominent landmarks in the city before overpowering and robbing cabbies, are believed to be responsible for at least 20 such cases.

Armed with knives and parang, and usually in a group three, the robbers would instruct the drivers to head to locations on the outskirts of the city.

Once they were in a secluded area close to the agreed destination, the robbers would threaten, rob and assault their victims.

One of the victims, who requested anonymity, said four men flagged him down at Kota Raya on March 28 and asked to go to Desa Petaling.

“They positioned themselves beside the doors, with one sitting directly behind me,” he said

“When we reached a remote area, one of them choked me from behind, causing me to faint. I only realised I was robbed when I regained consciousness and saw the men standing outside my car.

“I grabbed a crowbar from under my seat and managed to fight them off. However, I suffered a gash on my head after being struck twice with a piece of wood.”

He said he received 16 stitches on his head. 

Four days earlier, another driver fell victim to robbers who asked to be taken from Bukit Bintang to Salak South.

“One of them choked me from behind while an accomplice in the front seat pointed a knife at me as we approached the destination,” he said.

“The robbers dragged me out and kicked me repeatedly.”

He said the beating lasted about five minutes and he was left stranded after they drove off in his taxi.

Cheras police chief ACP Chong Kok Sin said police crippled the syndicate following the arrest of 11 men, aged 17 to 33.

He said the arrests were made following an incident where a taxi driver drove towards a police roadblock after he grew suspicious of the inconsistent directions he received from his passengers.

Chong said the incident on the night of March 29 unfolded after the taxi driver picked up three men from Times Square in Jalan Hang Tuah and headed towards Salak South.

“When his passengers kept switching routes and directions, the driver became suspicious and proceeded to drive straight towards a police roadblock,” he said.

Upon questioning by policemen manning the roadblock, the robbers admitted they had intended to rob the driver.

The trio were arrested and later led police to eight other suspects who were picked up the same night from various locations in the Klang Valley.

Chong said of the 20 reports lodged, 13 were from Cheras and the rest in the Wangsa Maju, Dang Wangi and Sentul districts.

He said a 23-year-old man with criminal records who was arrested could be the mastermind behind the robberies.

Forty-three other similar cases were reported in the Dang Wangi district from January to March. In those cases, the robbers assaulted taxi drivers, stole their vehicles, and robbed passengers they picked up while posing as cabbies.

These suspects were also armed with knives and parang, and overpowered their victims before robbing them.