

A Chinese woman has been accused of offering sex as a bribe to a U.S. customs official at JFK airport, after she was caught red handed with a considerable amount of undeclared luxury goods.

Hong Yang, 55, first arrived at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport from Paris last July with her sister and adult daughter. The Customs and Border Patrol officers found undeclared items in their luggage, including designer bags, a fur coat, diamond jewellery and watches valued at $160,000, according to New York Daily News.

The complaint filed at Brooklyn Federal Court said that the woman attempted to then bribe the officer with a note with her name and phone number on it, and offered to throw in a watch and US$10,000 if he would turn a blind eye to the goods.

When the customs officer went away and returned from putting on a hidden recording device, Yang quickly upped her game and offered to “sleep with” the officer and take him to China if he allowed them to pass through.

Although the woman was allowed to leave the airport at the time without any charges being made, on attempting to leave the U.S. for China this weekend, she was charged with customs fraud and arrested by Homeland Security agents.

The woman was released and is presently on bail of US$250,000.



Robert Gottlieb, Yang’s defence lawyer, said, “There was clearly a misunderstanding that unfortunately has resulted in an unjust arrest of a wonderful woman.”

Once again the story has failed to at all improve the terrible image of Chinese travellers and their air travel etiquette. Already this month another cheeky woman nicked a life jacket from her flight and when caught by customs alleged she thought it was a complimentary souvenir.

By Daniel Paul

Share this: Pocket

Telegram

Print

