African expats – and Nigerians in particular – seem to be dominating PRD news this week.  Only days after Nigerians staged a large scale protest against Chinese police in Guangzhou and called for a Nigerian consulate in the city, two Nigerians have been arrested for robbery in Foshan.

Sina is reporting there were six robberies last week targeting taxi drivers in Foshan’s Nanhai District, all of which were alleged to have been committed by Nigerian expatriates. The robberies totaled RMB11,000 in value, according to the Guangzhou Daily.  So far one of the suspects, a 33-year old Nigerian man, has been arrested.

It’s believed the spree of robberies began on June 12.  In the early morning that day, a taxi driver, Ah Long, drove two African passengers to Guangfo Trade Mart. After they arrived at the destination, the two passengers asked Ah Long to help them open the trunk to retrieve their luggage. When he did so, one passenger grabbed him by the neck while the other threatened him with a knife, ordering Ah Long to turn over his belongings.  They are alleged to have taken RMB4,020 worth of property from Ah Long before fleeing.

Just one week later, local police received reports of several robberies from taxi drivers who described a similar scene, with losses adding up to RMB11,000 in total.

According to captured surveillance video, the police identified the suspects as two tall black men who spoke fluent Mandarin, probably between the ages of 25 and 30.  They tended to act late at night, often getting taxis from around Huangqi Road and alighting near Dali Lingnan crossroad.

Police finally had a breakthrough on June 18, when a taxi carrying two black passengers caught the attention of policemen who were staking out the targeted area.  After following the taxi all the way to its destination, the police spotted one passenger getting out of the car and looking around.  The police the swarmed and took the man down, seizing a sizable blade the man was carrying. Unfortunately for police, the other man was able to run away.

The man who was caught, Onwuatu, was identified as one of the two suspects by Ah Long.  Police are still looking for the second suspect.