FALCON POWERS – Investigations presented by Swedish Radio have revealed that taxis are increasingly being used as a means to transport crime perpetrators and weapons in deadly shootings in major urban areas. The investigation showed that more than half of the shooting incidents solved last year involved the use of taxis, often without the drivers’ knowledge of what was happening.
In eight out of 20 verified cases, taxis were directly used to transport the perpetrators to or from the crime scene. The investigations also uncovered instances where taxis were used to transport dangerous materials, such as dynamite and hand grenades, without the drivers being aware of the situation.
One taxi driver recounts how he found himself involved in one of these crimes after a night shift, where one of his passengers was arrested while others were suspected of involvement in the crime. The driver says, “A lot of things happen to me while working as a taxi driver, but a crime? I never expected to find myself in this situation.”
For her part, Anna Färgh Vest, head of the serious crimes unit in the Western Police Region, stated that “criminals use taxis as part of their planning, involving the drivers in their schemes without their knowledge or consent.”
Meanwhile, Mikael, who works as a taxi driver, says, “We, drivers for major companies, don’t face these situations because we have cameras in the cars, alarm buttons, and the person driving is fully recorded.”
