TL;DR
Chinese intelligence allegedly used a student's aviation hobby as cover, hiring him for $20-30 per photo to shoot sensitive U.S. locations.
A Chinese student studying in Canada slipped into the United States more than twenty times over the past two and a half years. Court records say he wasn't there for the sights — he was photographing facilities near Chicago's airport and aircraft.
His client sounded mysterious: someone claiming ties to Chinese officials found him through an aviation enthusiast website and assigned him specific planes, paying $20 to $30 per picture.
Hobby as cover, tasks as reality
In April, a person climbed onto a forklift in the FedEx parking lot at Chicago's O'Hare Airport and took photos of planes. That was the student.
US Customs found dozens of aircraft photos on his phone. He first said it was a hobby, then admitted someone assigned him tasks for money. US authorities allege a Chinese government figure was pulling the strings.
The counter-surveillance playbook
The middleman first sent SIM cards to be destroyed after use; later he told the student to use a Huawei phone and never bring it into the US. Trips were proposed to Orlando, Las Vegas, and Los Angeles.
The student said he accepted two tasks over 18 months and made $500. The middleman wasn't satisfied, saying the photos were 'fine but not what was expected.'
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