Hundreds of illegal taxis are operating in Amsterdam and around Schiphol airport, government inspectors say in Thursday’s Parool.

The inspectorate, police and tax office officials have launched a crackdown on illegal taxi operations. So far 20 companies have been tracked down, some with over 100 drivers, the paper said.

‘It all looks good in the taxi register but as soon as we look into things, we find oddities,’ inspector Sikko Oosterhoff told the Parool. ‘BVs go bankrupt, contracts with drivers are signed in dodgy cafes, payslips are missing and the owner can’t be found.’

By not sticking to the rules – such as having an onboard computer – illegal taxi firms are able to get rich quick, but consumers are unaware anything is wrong, because the fees they charge are in line with official rates, the Parool said.

The illegal companies also advertise their services online, like legitimate companies.