A tourist’s account of being allegedly extorted by an illegal taxi driver at KLIA has gone viral, drawing widespread criticism and calls for authorities to crack down on unlicensed operators.
A tourist’s account of being allegedly extorted by an illegal taxi driver at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) has gone viral, drawing widespread criticism online and prompting renewed calls for authorities to crack down on unlicensed transport operators.
The incident was shared by a traveller, identified as, Mitra Ardron, in the Facebook group Kuala Lumpur Travel Tips, where he recounted his experience after arriving at KLIA Terminal 2 on a flight from Calcutta, India.
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“I was kidnapped and robbed today at Kuala Lumpur Airport. Here’s what happened.
“I arrived overnight from Calcutta. A bit tired. Phone not connecting to the local carrier for some reason,” he wrote.
As he exited Terminal 2 intending to take the shuttle bus to Terminal 1 for a connecting flight, he was approached by an individual who offered him a ride.
Although initially reluctant, Mitra said the man claimed that both the shuttle bus and train services were not yet operating and warned that he could miss his flight if he waited.
The individual also assured him that the journey would be charged at the “metre rate”, convincing Mitra to accept the offer.
However, Mitra alleged that the situation quickly took a troubling turn once he entered the vehicle.
He claimed that the driver left the airport area and began asking whether payment would be made in cash or by credit card.
“When I said card, he kept driving until we got to a gas station, which seemed a long way from the airport, where he told me to get the money out of the ATM.
“At this point, I was getting worried because it seemed an awfully long way to go from Terminal 2 to Terminal 1. He drove back to Terminal 1 and told me the price was RM450 just to get from Terminal 2 to Terminal 1.
“This was obviously not the meter rate and he had something on his phone which suggested it was,” he added.
Mitra further alleged that when he suggested verifying the fare with the police, the driver locked the car doors and refused to let him leave until payment was made.
“This is why I called it a kidnapping. There was no way for me to get away without paying him RM300, which was his last offer.
“Eventually I had no choice but to either pay him or do something drastic like smash a window and potentially get myself into more trouble and miss my flight. I’m sure the thief knew this was the case.
“I reported the event to the police, who said it was definitely a robbery/kidnapping and the price should have been closer to RM50.
“Just in case you’re transiting through KL, you probably don’t want to take any non-branded car transit from that airport until and unless the cops actually do something about this,” the post read.
The post quickly gained traction online, with many Malaysians expressing outrage over the alleged incident.
Several netizens called on Transport Minister Anthony Loke and the relevant authorities to take firm action against illegal taxi operators, arguing that such cases tarnish Malaysia’s image among international visitors.
