Toolbox

‘Passengers’ knock out taxi driver on highway, steal car

A trip to Linden for a taxi driver late Thursday night ended badly when his passengers knocked him out with a chemical substance before tying him with rope and escaping with his vehicle, cash and cellular phone.

When Lincoln Seales of La Bonne Intention (LBI) came to several hours later, he found himself in a sandy area in Linden but managed to use a second cellular phone that the bandits did not find to contact a friend for help.

Police in a press release last evening said that they are investigating the incident which occurred around 11:30 pm.
In the statement the police said that the incident occurred at Kuru Kuru on the Linden/Soesdyke Highway but a woman close to Seales said that they were already in Linden when it happened.

According to the release, Seales was operating his blue Lancer motor car PJJ 3828 from the Linden Car Park when three men hired him to travel to Linden. However while in the vicinity of Kuru Kuru one of the men pretended to be feeling unwell and requested Seales to stop. As he did so, he was held around his neck and choked while a cloth was placed over his face and he lost consciousness.

Upon regaining consciousness sometime later, Seales found that his hands and feet were tied and his motor car with $15,000 and a cell phone was missing. He however managed to use another cell phone which he had in his possession to call a friend who informed the police.

Seales was subsequently found at Kara Kara by the police.
Recounted what Seales had related to her, the women said that the men hired him to take them to Linden and when in the vicinity of Watooka, “they put something to he face and he black out. He said that was all he remember”.

She said that when he woke up he was surrounded by sand and he found his second cell phone and contacted her. That was around 3:45 am. According to the woman she called a friend who contacted the police.

This newspaper was told the owner of the car travelled to the mining town to provide more details to the police on the vehicle. A relative of the man said that he had been in the taxi business for about five years and was known to operate from Woodlands Hospital or Stabroek Market.

This incident mirrors another which occurred earlier this week during which a taxi driver attached to GR taxi service was held up by two passengers and after being gun butted, stabbed and shot at, the men escaped with his car, cash and other items.
Faran Asif Yassen had told Stabroek News that around 4 am on Monday a man stopped him in front of the Sheriff Night club and inquired about the fare to Bel Air.

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18 Responses to “‘Passengers’ knock out taxi driver on highway, steal car”

John Smith
on October 11th, 2008 5:45 am

Something does not add up here, the police is saying the incident happened one place and the friend is saying somewhere else. They did not take one of his two phones?. There is more to this story than what we are reading or Stabroek News has missed something.

[Reply to this]
SandHurst First
In reply to the above comment on October 11th, 2008 9:35 am:
whether or not it makes no sense, a thief is a thief and what happened to this man was unfortunate. What if wild animals were in the vicinity, he could have been killed.People thiefing anything now.

[Reply to this]
guy123
on October 11th, 2008 9:36 am

These taxi drivers are taking a big risk whenever they pick up groups who want to go long distances,though it does sound a bit fishy.What’s with the OTHER cell phone that the bandits did’nt find?

[Reply to this]
tiger
In reply to the above comment on October 11th, 2008 2:24 pm:
the other cell phone sounds to me like a safty precaution a result of how things are in guyana now, which i think is smart.

[Reply to this]
Fulano de Tal
on October 11th, 2008 10:11 am

It smells fishy. Nevertheless, may I suggest a bulletproof, shatterproof material separating drivers from passengers in all taxis? That way drivers can lock their & the front passenger doors & use the rear of the vehicle for passengers. Anyone travelling in front has to be someone in whom the driver has lots of confidence (even though it should not be allowed period. Any stops along the way will either be at snackettes, restaurants or recognised restrooms that way there will always be some form of witness(es)
Just a suggestion.

[Reply to this]
sina
In reply to the above comment on October 12th, 2008 4:40 am:
get real, i cannot travel in back seat of any vehicle,always front seat.this highjacking is happening all over the world.This man had a lucky escape,he is a live.

[Reply to this]
alexis 296
In reply to the above comment on October 12th, 2008 3:42 pm:
i agree with you .
Pablo_Picasso
on October 11th, 2008 10:28 am

Just looking at the caption to this story one would immediately assumed the taxi driver was punched but after reading the article he was drugged. Stabroeknews you need to get your caption straight. Since this incident happended at Kuru Kuru –I blamed it on the REAL FINEMAN. The fake one was cornered at this location by the JS.

[Reply to this]
simone
on October 11th, 2008 10:45 am

Sound fishy

[Reply to this]
Arnold
on October 11th, 2008 11:26 am

The “Burundanga” is reaching all horizons…

[Reply to this]
R MANGRU
on October 11th, 2008 12:47 pm

PERHAPS ITS TIME TO HAVE A SEPARATION GLASS BETWEEN THE THE DRIVER AND THE BACK PASSENGER SEAT FOR ALL TAXI. SIMILAR TO WHAT THEY HAVE IN SOME CITIES IN N-AMERICA. ALSO A PANIC BUTTON THAT WILL ALERT THE PUBLIC THAT THE TAXI DRIVER IS IN TROUBLE.

[Reply to this]
Buxton Spice
on October 11th, 2008 2:17 pm

It looks like a duck, walks like a duck and quacks like a duck! Anyway, no one is safe in Guyana but taxi driving is ‘high risk’.

[Reply to this]
Cilicia
on October 11th, 2008 4:48 pm

why did he call a gf before the police? I dont buy that ‘Knock out’ theory. that just gave them enough time to make a clean escape. but if it did happen that way….my sympathies

[Reply to this]
deloris
on October 11th, 2008 5:45 pm

i think when fine man died the robbing would have died with him

[Reply to this]
alexis 296
In reply to the above comment on October 12th, 2008 3:47 pm:
deloris what fine man have to with this?

[Reply to this]
berry
on October 11th, 2008 7:07 pm

this just goes to show that you cant trust anyone and i dont think that a taxi driver should take a trip to such a distance no matter how much money. give the taxi owners guns to protect themselves at nights.

[Reply to this]
Caesar
on October 11th, 2008 8:17 pm

Taxis will soon have to become like trains. The subway. The driver is separated from the rest of the passengers.You first pay,go in, the doors are locked. It is only opened at your destination.

[Reply to this]
ICON
on October 11th, 2008 9:18 pm

Who in Hell is going to hear a Panic button at 12am on the Linden/Soesdyke Highway —only you Mangru.

[Reply to this]