Another Tauranga taxi driver has been attacked in his car, this time by a man who robbed him and told him he was armed with a gun and had gang connections.
The second incident follows the bashing and robbery of a 55-year-old Tauranga Mount Taxis driver in Darraghs Rd, Brookfield,on Sunday morning.
Detective Sergeant Peter Blackwell said the most recent attack occurred about 8.50pm on Monday, after the 37-year-old Indian driver, who also works for Tauranga Mount Taxis, picked up a customer from an address in Bayfair. The passenger asked to be taken to an address in Papamoa.
Mr Blackwell said during the journey, the passenger told the driver he had gang connections and also demanded money from him, claiming he was armed with a gun.
The driver handed over a small amount of cash.
On arrival the offender, aged in his early 20s, made further threats and demands for cash and tried to assault the driver by punching him from outside the taxi.
The driver drove away unharmed and contacted police a short time later, Mr Blackwell said.
Mr Blackwell said the incident was "pretty serious", involving threats of violence, and the taxi driver was obviously shaken.
The taxi did not have a security camera, but police were following some promising lines of inquiry.
Tauranga Mount Taxis general manager Bruce Rainey said these kinds of robberies seemed to suggest desperation on the part of thieves.
"On a Monday night he'd [the taxi driver] be lucky if he had $30 on him," he said.
He questioned whether thieves saw taxi drivers as soft targets.
"That's the other concern."
A Bethlehem labourer charged in relation to the bashing and robbery of a Tauranga taxi driver on Sunday has been refused bail.
Stacey Adam, 20, appeared in Tauranga District Court on Monday on one charge of robbery.
At the end of the bail hearing, Judge Peter Rollo said he was satisfied that there was just cause for Adam's continued detention and remanded him in custody without plea. Adam will next appear in court on March 29.
Some cash has since been recovered. The injured driver has been discharged from hospital.
