Uber suspects nabbed
SANDTON – After innocent Uber riders were attacked in an Uber, police and the public transport company conducted an investigation that has led to two arrests.
Uber came under a lot of scrutiny in July and August and the safety of the driving service has been questioned.
In a recent article, Nightmare ride in Uber, the kidnapping and hijacking of a couple who used the transport service was covered.
In another unfortunate incident, a 64-year-old woman was raped, assaulted and robbed by men who were hiding in the boot of the Uber that she had ordered. However, Uber’s spokesperson, Samantha Allenberg explained that a lot of progress is being made with regards to police investigations, as two suspects have been arrested.
“First and foremost our thoughts continue to be with the riders and their families, with whom we’ve been in contact from the start. We are grateful to the police for their work to bring these two individuals to justice, one who was a former driver-partner.”
She highlighted that Uber and local law enforcement agencies worked together to make these arrests. She stressed that Uber’s comment is limited as the investigation is ongoing.
In terms of the suspects background, she said, “Prior to this individual’s [suspect] deactivation and arrest, he held a valid Professional Driver’s Permit and he cleared all background checks.
“There was no evidence of a prior criminal record. Driver-partners wanting to use the Uber app must undergo a pre-screening process, which includes a criminal background check before their driver profile is activated.”
When the kidnapping of the couple was shared readers were confused as to how the couple got into the Uber vehicle of the perpetrator.
Allenberg explained that the suspect was not the Uber Driver allocated for the victims. What this means is that the driver ordered by the victims with the use of the Uber application was not the driver that they got into the car with.
“When we identified the suspect after an internal [Uber] investigation, we notified the police immediately. It is our standard practice to immediately suspend any individual who may be involved in suspicious activity pending further internal and or police investigation.”
She explained that the information Uber provided to the police was instrumental in finding the suspects.
She is urging Uber users to please remember to always check and confirm the driver and vehicle details before getting into a vehicle, even if the driver claims to be your Uber driver. “Riders should also make use of the technology in the app that allows them to share their driver and vehicle details and their estimated time of arrival with family or friends.”
Related article:
Couple assaulted, kidnapped, robbed in false uber ride
