Taxi driver tells 20 passengers: Pay extra or I'll drown you all

Cambodia's overloaded private taxi.

Phnom Penh (DPA)- A Cambodian taxi driver was arrested after he ramped up an inter-city fare, then threatened to kill his passengers by driving into a lake unless they paid, local media reported Monday.

The driver had initially agreed to take 20 passengers to the eastern province of Prey Veng for 2 dollars a head, the Phnom Penh Post newspaper said.

However, halfway there, he stopped the taxi and announced the fare had increased to 5 dollars each.

When the passengers refused to hand over the extra money and began arguing with the driver, he threatened to drown them by driving into a nearby lake.

A passenger then called the police who arrested the driver.

Cambodia lacks public transport, and privately operated minibus taxis, which are often overcrowded, are a common way to travel around the country.