A 26-year-old man has been charged with second-degree murder in the death of St. Laurent taxi driver Mohammed Nehar-Belaid.

Nigel John did not enter a plea or seek bail when he appeared at the Montreal courthouse Monday.

Nehar-Belaid, 64, went missing Nov. 29, shortly after he started his shift. His body was found three days later in LaSalle.

John was arrested at his home during a SWAT team operation on Saturday morning.

A warrant had been issued for John after tips came in based on surveillance video from a gas station that showed a man behind the wheel of the taxi. The video showed someone driving Nehar-Belaid's car and using his credit card.

"I'm very relieved that somebody has been arrested...because if there was no arrest that would be very bad," said taxi driver Mamadou Alpha.

John's next court appearance is scheduled for Jan. 12.

Saying goodbye

Meanwhile, a funeral service was held for Nehar-Belaid Monday afternoon at the Islamic Centre of Quebec, a mosque in St. Laurent.

Along with Nehar-Belaid's family, hundreds of taxi drivers turned out to remember the man they describe as humble and hard working.

"He was a very quiet man, very nice man, very good man," said a Houssan El-Rifar, a fellow cab driver.

Nehar-Belaid leaves behind a wife and five children.

Security

The murder has had a chilling effect on some Montreal taxi drivers, who remind the public that their job can be very dangerous.

"My kids, they told me I have to quit this job," said El-Rifar. "I can't. I have to work." 

A string of assaults against cabbies prompted one taxi company to install a global positioning satellite system to improve service and increase security.

The industry has also agreed on new roof-top domes that include advertising panels and a 9-1-1 sign that flashes on the back to alert people whenever a cabbie is in trouble.

But taxi drivers are calling on the government for funding to help with such security measures, and they also want police to step up efforts to protect them.

"The police are too busy giving out tickets, rather than checking the safety of the drivers," said taxi driver Gregory Sitaras.