Beijing taxi drivers have been warned to stay vigilant during the Spring Festival after police arrested a gang suspected of robbing 30 drivers.

Ma Xichu, a senior officer in charge of economic crimes with the city's public security bureau, said yesterday that four men had been arrested for the raids, all of which occurred this month.

"Taxi drivers are normally favored targets for these gangs before Spring Festival so we suggest drivers be alert at this time," he said.

Taxi drivers often carry cash in their pockets and are usually alone, perfect for thieves looking to make some "quick money" before Spring Festival, Ma explained.

"The four suspects took the taxis at two or three o'clock in the morning and asked the driver to go to some remote area. They then robbed the drivers, taking their cash and mobile phones," he said.

Zhang Guoyan, a taxi driver for 10 years, said he was not worried about robbers. "It is not difficult to see if someone is going to rob you and I will refuse to take them as soon as I notice," he told China Daily.

Zhang also said the taxi company he works with give regular lectures to advise drivers how best to protect themselves at night.

"We are told not to pick up certain passengers, such as three men looking to take a taxi at night, and we also have to register if we are taking passengers out of the city," he said.

The police have also warned people to be careful when they go to banks after a woman who withdrew 200,000 yuan (US$29,300) from a cash machine was robbed by three men in a bus stop in Haidian district on Jan 14. The police later arrested the suspects in Tianjin and Harbin, and recovered 170,000 yuan.

"Most elderly people and women are not careful after withdrawing cash and we urge people to avoid getting too much cash out at this time," Ma said.

People who shop during Spring Festival should also be careful, he warned, with the holidays usually seeing a rise in reported bag thefts.

(China Daily January 21, 2009)