Several passengers were robbed onboard a maxi taxi travelling along the Priority Bus Route near Lopinot Road in Arouca yesterday which police officials describe as a planned ambush involving a disguised decoy passenger.
According to reports, the maxi was heading east when the passenger dressed in full female Muslim attire pressed the buzzer and later walked to the front to get off. The driver later opened the door and five armed bandits wearing hoodies and bandanas who were already waiting at the destination rushed into the vehicle.
The men carrying guns and knives, ordered other passengers to hand over their valuables including phones, jewellery, cash, personal items and more. Dash cam footage showed the disguised female passenger calmly stepping out of the maxi during the robbery along with her bag and was not robbed by the bandits.
CCTV footage from inside the vehicle clearly depicted the bandits standing and waiting for the bus at the exact same location where the disguised women told the driver to stop the bus. Their covered faces were clearly visible from a distance.
While the driver’s involvement is neglected as of now, this is to be noted that he had a chance to avoid stopping after noticing the suspicion.
The precise timing, from the buzzer to the stop indicates that the incident was a planned ambush. Community members have been left in shock following the incident with some crying as they recounted the terror inside the bus.
Police investigations into the incident continue.
