\'Strong leads\' in hunt for taxi driver\'s killer

Police investigating the stabbing death of a taxi driver in Auckland at the weekend say they are working on some strong leads that will help them locate the killer.

Hiren Mohini, 39, died on an ambulance stretcher minutes after being stabbed repeatedly by a frenzied customer for the sake of a $20 fare early yesterday morning.

It is believed Mr Mohini, a husband and father of two, picked up his attacker at the central Sky City taxi stand before travelling the short distance to View Rd in Mt Eden.

At 1.23am he pushed the panic button in his cab, sending an emergency alert across the whole Auckland Co-Op network.

An autopsy yesterday revealed that he died from the stab wound to his chest. Witnesses said he had also suffered wounds to his face and neck.

\"It was a frenzied attack,\" said the police officer heading the homicide inquiry, Detective Senior Sergeant Hywel Jones.

Police were working on some strong leads \"that will assist us to locate the killer,\" he said.

They were also viewing security surveillance footage from a number of locations.

Thirty staff were working on the inquiry.

\"This is a complex murder investigation,\" Mr Jones said.

\"A large team of specialists is now working on this inquiry and the search for the weapon used to murder the deceased father of two is intensifying.\"

Investigators were back in View Rd Mount Eden today to canvas the area and talk to residents and other locals, Mr Jones said.

\"There are a large number of witnesses to interview, not only from the street where the murder happened but also other locations such as the CBD where a male suspect is believed to have hired the cab driven by the deceased.\"

Police urged anyone with information to call them on 0800 EDGEWATER (0800 444 014) or anonymously on the Crimestoppers line, 0800 555 111.

The Government is to review taxi safety and consider mandatory safety measures in the wake of the killing.

Transport Minister Steven Joyce today said taxi safety did need to be looked at again. It had been reviewed in the past after earlier attacks.

\"We\'re ending up in a situation where New Zealand isn\'t as safe for taxis late at night any more,\" he told Radio New Zealand.

Mr Joyce said he would meet with taxi industry representatives, the Department of Labour and the NZ Transport Agency to assess what further safety measures need to be implemented.
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