Taxi driver shot in D’Urban Backlands carjacking

A taxi driver is now hospitalised after he was shot in a carjacking in D’Urban Backlands, where he was lured by two women who hired him.

Phillip King, 46, of Festival City, North Ruimveldt, Georgetown, sustained a gunshot wound to his right thigh. He is said to be in a stable condition at the Georgetown Public Hospital, where he underwent emergency surgery.

Stabroek News understands that King, who operates in front of Demico House, was hired by two women to go to Mocha Road, D’Urban Backlands, under the pretext of picking up a male friend.

However, upon their arrival, the male friend whipped out a handgun and forced King out of his silver grey Premio, HC 6296.

King attempted to flee the scene but the suspect discharged several rounds, one of which struck him to his right thigh.

An investigation has been launched but up to yesterday no one had been arrested and there was no trace of the car.

There has been a recent rise in carjackings.

The Guyana Police Force has in the past warned the public, and specifically taxi drivers operating the Toyota Allion and Toyota Premio models, to be on the alert for potential carjackers.

The mode operandi of the perpetrators, the police have observed, is to hire cabs around Georgetown en route to destinations such as North Ruimveldt, Georgetown, Atlantic Ville, East Coast Demerara, Providence, East Bank Demerara, and West Demerara, where upon their arrival they rob drivers of their personal belongings and their cars.