Taxi driver demands ‘ransom’ for passenger’s phone
A Bangkok taxi driver was arrested early Monday after demanding a “ransom” of B3,000 for an iPhone 6 that a passenger had left in his car.
Mongkol Srijunphan, 26, was arrested in a sting operation in the middle of Soi Thonglor 13 at 3.30am.
Police planned the arrest after the phone owner filed a complaint at Thonglor station.
The woman told police she’d forgotten the phone on the rear passenger seat after riding with a friend from the Rama III Road area to Soi Sukhumvit 31 at 1.15.
She called her phone and found it turned off, but remembered the taxi’s licence plate number.
While speaking to police, she received a phone call from the driver, who demanded Bt3,000 in exchange for the smartphone. Is she didn’t pay, he threatened to sell it.
At the direction of police, the woman arranged to meet the cabbie on Soi 13 to make the exchange. He was soon arrested and charged with extortion.
