Man detained for "harassing" offense at Pudong airport
A man has been detained for “harassing” passengers by begging for money at Pudong International Airport, Shanghai police said on Sunday.
The man, surnamed Wang, was detained on February 5 near the check-in counters of Zone H on the departure level of Terminal 1 while begging and “harassing” passengers. Police cited the offense of “disturbing the order of public places.”
On February 2, a man reported to airport police via social media platform Weibo that he saw a group of beggars outside the arrival gate of Terminal 2 stopping passengers to beg for money. The group also distributed leaflets in both Chinese and English.
Airport police said such beggars usually appear at the most crowded places of the airport, including check-in counters. They would even show QR codes for people to scan and make payments through WeChat or Alipay once passengers said they don’t have cash on hand.
Some beggars also try to carry luggage for passengers and then ask for payment, police added.
Airport law enforcers will stop and warn beggars to leave as soon as they see them. They can also be detained for up to 10 days and fined up to 500 yuan (US$80) if they continue to "harass" the public, according to police.
Passengers are encouraged to report beggars to airport law enforcers.