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Chinese subway passenger arrested after refusing to put handbag through ‘dirty’ scanner

Woman wrestles with police and security guards, and even feigns a blackout rather than comply with routine safety check

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Security guards grapple with a woman at a subway station in central China after she refused to allow her handbag to be put through a scanner. Photo: News.china.com
Kristin Huang

A Chinese woman who scuffled with police officers and security guards at a subway station after refusing to put her handbag through a scanner was given five days’ detention, local media reported.

The incident, which was caught on surveillance cameras, happened on February 27 at Sanjiaohu station in Wuhan, capital of central China’s Hubei province, Kankanews.com reported on Monday.

In the footage, the woman, identified only by her surname Wei, can be seen walking up to a checkpoint carrying a bag. The action then cuts to a scene in which she appears to be surrounded by security guards.

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At one point during the altercation the woman feigned a blackout and fell to the floor. Photo: News.china.com
At one point during the altercation the woman feigned a blackout and fell to the floor. Photo: News.china.com

The news report said staff at the station told Wei she could not go through the security check without allowing her bag to be scanned. The woman apparently replied by saying that she did not want to put the expensive item on a dirty conveyor belt, and the dispute escalated from there.

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The subway workers contacted the police and several officers arrived on the scene.

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