Hong Kong, Feb 02: A German tourist has been arrested for blackmailing luxury hotels in Hong Kong by claiming he found glass in his food, police in the territory said today.
The 28-year-old man allegedly collected 2,500 US dollars from one hotel and was caught in an undercover operation when he tried the scam at another top hotel.
According to a newspaper, he was arrested as he went to collect a cheque for 30,750 Hong Kong dollars (3,954 US dollars) from the five-star peninsula hotel in Tsim Sha Tsui.
He also tried to blackmail the Ritz-Carlton, the Grand Hyatt and one other luxury hotel, according to the newspaper. The newspaper did not say which hotel had paid him the 2,500 US dollars.
A detective quoted by the newspaper said, ''He would go into a restaurant, cut the inside of his gums with some glass and complain to staff about glass fragments in the food.”
''Then he would go to hospital where he would get a medical certificate showing his mouth had been cut with broken glass before demanding hush money from the hotel.''
Bureau Report
