Paris taxi driver who scammed tourists out of €200 jailed for eight months

The man was identified after a video of the incident went viral

Paris taxis should charge a fixed rate from the airport (YouTube/Charkrid Thanhachartyothin)

A Paris taxi driver who was filmed demanding €247 from a couple and refusing to let them out until they paid has been sentenced to eight months in prison.

Two Thai tourists posted a video online showing the man demanding the eye-watering fare after he drove them from Charles de Gaulle Airport to the city, despite the fact this journey is set at a flat rate of no more than €55.

The clip, which showed him driving around without stopping while the couple phoned the police, quickly went viral online, used as a cautionary tale for tourists to ensure they get in a legitimate, licensed Paris taxi.

The police found the man who featured in the video through his registration and licence plate details, which are on display in the footage, reports Le Parisien.

The man, identified as Enock C., was charged with extortion by violence, threat or coercion, as well as for illegally practising as a taxi driver, on Thursday 22 November. He was sentenced to one year in prison, including a four-month suspended sentence, without a warrant.

Enock, resident of Saint-Gratien, tried to explain his actions to the court, responding to the question of how much he thought the journey was worth: “I do not know. It’s the application I’m using that decides.”

The 25-year-old defendant claimed he never stopped the tourists from getting out of the car and that they left without paying after protracted discussions and negotiations.

However, video evidence disputes his claim, showing him saying: “You pay, you go. You no pay, you no go.”

Enock said he did not find the fare expensive and claimed that he had not been on duty at the time of the offence.

One of the victims of the scam, Charkrid Thanhachartyothin, said they wanted the video to be “a case study for other Thai people or travellers to be conscious while they are travelling.”

He told Le Parisien at the time: “The doors were locked, and we had all our luggage in the trunk. He did not want to let us out, and kept driving while [supposedly] phoning his company to find a compromise.

“So, we decided to pay €200 to get out.”