Beijing police seize fake taxis, cash

Beijing police captured 19 people and seized about 720,000 yuan ($114,166) in counterfeit bank notes during raids on a suspected fake taxi operation, authorities said on Monday.

The alleged ringleaders, identified only as Guo and Zhou, were taken into custody in Yanqing district, while 16 others were detained in Chaoyang, Haidian, Daxing and Tongzhou districts.

According to police, the group operated 16 fake taxis and repeatedly duped passengers with counterfeit bills. All of the suspects were detained on March 11.

The fake money was seized during a raid on a property in Yanqing and has since been passed on to the central bank, the Beijing Public Security Bureau said. All 16 vehicles will be destroyed by the capital’s Transport Commission, it added.

"Passengers should be careful when taking a taxi and call the police if they find anything abnormal about the car," the bureau said, suggesting that passengers should make a note of the car’s number plate and driver’s information.