Uber Training Session in China Raided by Police
A training session held by Uber was reportedly raided in a city located in southwest China, the latest woes to hit the ride sharing startup. Police last week raided an Uber training session held in Chongqing, according to the Wall Street Journal, which citied a report by the 21st Century Business Herald newspaper. There were more than 20 drivers in attendance, including one person who had recently been released from prison after a conviction for theft, the Journal added. The Chongqing government has reportedly been investigating the legality of Uber's business model using private drivers, Reuters has reported. Fortune e-mailed a handful of questions to Uber and received a terse reply that never directly addressed any of the questions. Uber wouldn't even confirm if the raid occurred, although the Journal says it told them that the raid happened. "We are actively communicating and seeking clarification with Chongqing government. Uber remains dedicated to serving the local transportation needs in Chongqing, and making contributions to smart transportation development through our leading technology," said Uber representative Natalia Montalvo in an e-mailed statement. Uber first dipped its toes into the Chinese market in 2013 with an initial test launch in Shanghai. The startup has since expanded its reach to other Chinese cities. Uber, now reportedly valued at 40 billion by investors, has faced a number of questions about the quality of background checks performed on its drivers. Fortune earlier this month dug into many of the woes the company is currently facing, including troubles overseas and public relations blemishes. This article first appeared on fortune.com