Source:
https://scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1384263/second-man-accused-transformers-blackmail-attempt-arrested
Hong Kong

Second man accused of Transformers blackmail attempt arrested

Police have arrested a second man accused of trying to extort money from the Transformers film crew during shooting in To Kwa Wan. Photo: Emily Tsang Oi-ying

Anti-triad officers arrested a second racketeer on Tuesday morning in connection with an alleged attempt to extort money from the crew of the fourth Transformers movie in Hong Kong two months ago.

Officers from the Kowloon City anti-triad squad picked up the 30-year-old man in Wong Tai Sin at about 7.30am.

On Tuesday evening, the suspect was being detained in Kowloon City police station and no charge had been laid.

A police spokesman said officers were still looking for two other men in connection with the case. The investigation is still continuing.

The three men, believed to be part of a gang of four, were accused of trying to extort money from Transformers crew members who were checking a film site on the roof of a residential block in To Kwa Wan Road on October 22.

A 35-year-old man was arrested at the site on the same day and later charged with one count of blackmail.

This was the second attempt to blackmail the Paramount Pictures crew during filming in Hong Kong.

On October 17, two brothers, Mak Chi-shing, 27, and Mak Chi-hang, 28, accused of trying to extort HK$100,000 from the crew in Quarry Bay, were arrested. They appeared in Eastern Court charged with blackmail and assaulting a police officer.
Mak Chi-hang (left) and Mak Chi-shing. Photo: Edward Wong
Mak Chi-hang (left) and Mak Chi-shing. Photo: Edward Wong

Hollywood director Michael Bay spent 10 days shooting his latest Transformers movie, Age of Extinction, in Hong Kong in October before he left for the mainland to film on the Great Wall in Beijing.

During the 10-day shoot in the city, the crew filmed at locations such as government headquarters in Admiralty and 200 filmmakers and actors from the city took part.