Chinese Spies Offer Pilot $15 Million To Steal US-Made Chinook Helicopter And Land On PLA Carrier
Chinese intelligence officials offered a Taiwanese army pilot millions of dollars to steal a US-made transport helicopter and land on a Chinese aircraft carrier.
The South China Morning Post reported Lieutenant Colonel "Hsieh" was offered $15 million by Chinese spies to steal a Boeing CH-47 Chinook and land on a People's Liberation Army Navy aircraft carrier during a military drill near the self-ruled island.
The plan to steal the Chinook came to an abrupt end when Taiwanese authorities arrested Hsieh in August for allegedly spying for Beijing.
In an indictment revealed by the Taiwan High Court Prosecutors Office on Monday, "Lieutenant Colonel Hsieh was asked to fly the helicopter at low altitude along the coastline to the Chinese Communist carrier which would be staging drills close to the waters 24 nautical miles [44km] off [Taiwan]."
According to prosecutors, the lieutenant colonel suggested that the PLA stage war drills near the southern Taiwanese city of Kaohsiung so that he would not have to cross the Median line that separates the island and the mainland in the Taiwan Strait. The idea behind this would minimize any risk of the helicopter being intercepted by Taiwan's Air Force jets.
The indictment also said Hsieh spoke with Chinese spies in July about the defection, including a plan to help his family immigrate to Thailand.
SCMP noted that prosecutors arrested Hsieh following a "tip" but did not explain further how he was caught.
"I feel pained, too, to have discovered a case like this, and those allegedly involved should be dealt with according to the law," said Chiu Kuo-cheng, Taiwan's defense chief, during a session with lawmakers in Taipei's parliament on Monday.
