Uber CEO charged over illegal taxi ring in South Korea while offices raided in Paris

Uber is having a pretty bad week – not only were its Paris offices raided by French police on Tuesday 17 March, but Uber CEO Travis Kalanick has been charged on suspicion of running an illegal taxi ring in South Korea.

According to French newspaper Le Monde, the Paris headquarters of Uber were raided by 25 police officers, and documents and mobile phones used by Uber drivers were seized.

Ride-sharing companies like UberPop are allowed under French law, but all drivers of these services must have the correct licences and driving insurance.

The warrant for the search was to seize information relating to illegal drivers, and is the first time that French authorities have gone after Uber directly.

"We see that search a disproportionate action, carried out on shaky legal grounds," Uber France boss Thibaud Simphal told Le Monde.

South Korea charges

Meanwhile in South Korea, Uber CEO Travis Kalanick has already been in trouble with authorities in the country since December 2014 for breaking local transport laws with the Uber taxi service for the exact same reason as France.

South Korea too has a law that prohibits individuals or firms without appropriate licences from providing or facilitating transportation services.

On 17 March, 30 people including Uber Korea's chief and Kalanick were charged on suspicion of running an illegal taxi ring in South Korea, according to Yonhap News Agency.

South Korean police stated that the Uber app puts passengers at risk as drivers are not screened by Uber Korea and their cars are not ensured. There are also concerns that sensitive details like credit card numbers and mobile phone numbers could be leaked too.

"We plan to summon Kalanick soon and check the transaction details of overseas bank accounts to conduct further investigation into those involved in the case," a police official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

"If Kalanick continues to disobey the summons, we plan to seek an arrest warrant against him."

Kalanick is currently residing in the US and refuses to stand trial in South Korea. When he was first indicted in December, Uber issued the following statement: "Uber Technologies respects the Korean legal system and will provide its full cooperation.

"We firmly believe that our service, which connects drivers and riders via an application, is not only legal in Korea, but that it is being welcomed and supported by consumers."