Two Colombian men fell victim to an express kidnapping last week after entering a street taxi in Bogota’s popular Galerias district.
The two had just left a nightclub when they hailed the cab at a crowded taxi stand.
During the trip, the driver deviated from the route one of the passengers requested, claiming the cab was experiencing a mechanical issue and pulling over.
Two assailants armed with knives then entered the cab and threatened the two men.
The assailants beat the victims, demanding the passcodes to their smartphones and access to their cash transfer apps.
The victims were held in the taxi for over three hours while the assailants drained their bank accounts and made fraudulent online purchases.
The assailants were able to electronically transfer two million pesos ($458) from one of the victims, in addition to stealing his cell phone, watch, wallet and an unspecified amount of jewelry.
The victims were later released in the industrial Montevideo district in northwestern Bogota, where they flagged down a bus driver and called family members.
Armed robberies, express kidnappings, carjackings and vehicle thefts have all increased markedly in Bogota in 2024, with the city’s upscale and trendy neighborhoods not spared.
Armed robberies and express kidnappings are especially common in December when many Colombians are paid their annual Christmas bonuses.
On 3 April 2023, a young couple were express kidnapped after boarding a street taxi in Bogota’s Zona T nightlife district. The couple attempted to hail a cab using a mobile taxi app but eventually decided to flag down a nearby street taxi.
A few minutes into the ride, the couple noticed the driver was not taking the correct route. Soon after, two motochorros, armed with knives, entered the cab and began demanding valuables. The criminals also took the couple’s cell phones and began making online instant bank transfers. The transfers amount to 30 million pesos ($7,200).
While being held in the taxi, the female victim was able to scream for help after noticing a nearby police patrol. Police arrested four suspects following a brief chase, with the couple suffering mild injuries.
With express kidnapping common, personnel should not hail cabs on the street. Those lacking corporate transportation should stick to hotel cabs or app-dispatched taxi services, such as Easy Taxi (available for download). Easy Taxi provides a photo of the driver and the license-plate number of the taxi and alerts the user when the taxi has arrived. The app also allows users to share their trip details with family and friends who can actively track their location.
Personnel should undertake pedestrian activity in Bogota only in daylight and only in areas known to them and reputed to be safe. They should forego luxury watches and other jewelry and should carry only a small amount of cash and/or a single credit card. Cell phones should be kept out of sight.
Assailants should be assumed to be armed and prepared to use their weapons, making resistance unwise.
