'Violent Crime Convict Operating Private Taxi Business'... Gyeonggi Special Judicial Police Crack Down on Illegal Call Running

The Gyeonggi Province Special Police Unit for Fair Judicial Affairs disguised themselves as a designated driver company and apprehended 19 members of a call taxi ring who were engaging in illegal taxi operations.

Gyeonggi Province has apprehended 19 individuals involved in illegal taxi operations known as ‘call jumping’ using private cars or rental cars. Among them, some were found to have prior records of serious crimes such as assault and prostitution mediation.

The Gyeonggi Province Fair Special Judicial Police Unit announced on the 7th that from May to November, they conducted investigations focusing on Hwaseong, Pyeongtaek, and Ansan regarding ‘call jumping,’ uncovering 19 people including illegal paid transportation brokers and drivers. Eighteen have been sent to prosecution, and one is still under investigation.

In a major case, broker A, who arranged illegal paid transportation, conspired with 11 call taxi drivers including B from March 2022 to operate call taxis around Hyangnam, Hwaseong City, an area dense with industrial complexes. They disguised themselves as a designated driver company and distributed business cards targeting karaoke bars, pubs, and restaurants in factory-dense areas and central commercial districts, gathering passengers including foreign workers. When call taxi customers called, A used a walkie-talkie to dispatch taxi drivers and collected brokerage fees of 200,000 to 300,000 KRW per driver monthly, accumulating an illegal profit of 23 million KRW. The 11 call taxi drivers, including B, charged passengers between 8,000 KRW and 20,000 KRW per ride, conducting about 10,000 illegal call taxi operations and earning approximately 110 million KRW in illegal profits.

Meanwhile, C was caught again in April by the Gyeonggi Special Judicial Police for operating call taxis near Gwangju City, Gyeonggi Province, using rental cars leased from a car rental business, despite having been fined in July 2021 for illegal call taxi operations. This was 1 year and 6 months after the initial penalty.

C was found to have extorted about 14 million KRW in illegal profits through approximately 1,400 illegal call taxi operations, charging about 10,000 KRW per passenger. Prior to the July 2021 fine, C had received multiple fines for the same crime.

Call jumping operations are not subject to driving qualification restrictions, making them highly likely to lead to secondary crimes. Notably, among the 19 suspects apprehended, three had prior records of serious crimes.

D was a repeat offender with 13 convictions including special threats, unlicensed driving, and violations of the Special Act on Aggravated Punishment (hit-and-run). E had 16 convictions including assault, injury, drunk driving, unlicensed driving, and violations of the Special Act on Aggravated Punishment (hit-and-run). F had 13 convictions, including a prison sentence for prostitution mediation.

Kim Gwang-deok, head of the Gyeonggi Province Fair Special Judicial Police Unit, emphasized, "While taxi drivers are managed regarding their driving qualifications, call taxi drivers’ identities are not properly managed, increasing the likelihood of secondary crimes. We will focus our investigative capabilities on eradicating illegal call jumping to ensure the safety of the residents."