Man Busted in Rush Hour 2 Extortion Plot

March 21 -- A man claiming to be a member of a Hong Kong criminal gang has been accused of trying to extort approximately $60,000 from the producers of Jackie Chan's action sequel, Rush Hour 2.

According to the BBC, the 30-year-old man, whose identity has not yet been revealed by authorities, had threatened to disrupt filming in Hong Kong if his demands weren't met. The film's producers allegedly met with the man and handed over the requested fee, but Hong Kong officials arrested him as he left a restaurant in the city's red-light district.

The money was recovered, but authorities are still searching for two other men thought to be involved in the plot, the BBC notes.

The alleged blackmail scheme is just the latest in a series of bizarre criminal behavior said to involve some of Hollywood's top actors. Last month it was revealed that the FBI was on the watch for a plot to kidnap Russell Crowe, who was the victim of a failed blackmail scheme in Australia two years ago.

On Monday, it was reported that Spanish actor Antonio Banderas had hired bodyguards after receiving death threats from Basque terrorists. The actor's rep denied the stories. Just one day later, British tabloid The Mirror ran an item claiming that James Bond star Pierce Brosnan had been the target of a kidnapping plot while he was filming a movie in Colombia.