A taxi driver and his accomplice who held up and molested a female passenger in a cab with the plate number TXD-899 have been arrested on July 9, revealing a new criminal modus operandi.

According to a report on GMANetwork.com, the female victim had hailed the taxi in Makati on the night of July 7. Upon reaching EDSA, the driver, who was identified as Eduardo Sarabosig, had suddenly stopped the car—the signal for his accomplice, Samuel Aumentado, to emerge from the trunk. The two then held the passenger at knifepoint and took her money and belongings. They later brought her to Unisan, Quezon, with Aumentado molesting her along the way.

Sarabosig stayed in the province with the victim, while Aumentado returned to Manila. Fortunately, the victim managed to escape when her captor fell asleep. Both Sarabosig and Aumentado were eventually caught, but, neither of them admitted to being the mastermind behind the crime.

The police have advised taxi passengers to exercise extreme caution and to be wary of this new criminal scheme. Always inform your loved ones of your whereabouts, and make it a habit to take note of the cab’s plate and body number at all times.

(Photo by Moyan_Brenn via Flickr Creative Commons; used for illustrative purposes only.)