(ECNS) - A 19-year-old man in China was sentenced to three years in prison, suspended for five years, after planting plastic film in mooncakes and demanding compensation from multiple hotels, authorities said, according to media report.
The defendant, surnamed Lin, targeted high-end hotels in cities including Shanghai, Hangzhou, Chengdu and Jinan ahead of last year's Mid-Autumn Festival, according to prosecutors in Shanghai's Jing'an district.
After purchasing mooncakes, Lin falsely claimed he had found plastic film inside and demanded compensation at ten times the original price under China's food safety law, threatening to file complaints or expose the incident if his demands were not met.
Prosecutor Wang Jia said Lin deliberately paid full price for the products, even when discounts were offered, so he could calculate compensation based on the higher amount.
Investigators found Lin used identical scripts, photos and videos across cases. He claimed that a child had choked on the plastic film and required emergency treatment, Wang said. Lin later admitted that he had planted the plastic film himself.
Judge Yang Liu said some businesses chose to settle quickly to avoid reputational risks and higher costs. "For hotels, paying several thousand yuan can resolve the issue more easily," Yang said.
In March, a court sentenced Lin to three years in prison, suspended for five years, and fined him 30,000 yuan for extortion.
Consumer rights official Tang Jiansheng said such profit-driven claims harm the market environment. "These practices do not help improve food safety but instead undermine a healthy consumer environment."
(By Zhang Jiahao)
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