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Olga Wong

Willa Wu

One more Hongkonger has returned home safely after being released from a “scam farm” in Southeast Asia, while local authorities have met family members of other detainees for the first time since a task force visited Bangkok to exchange intelligence with Thai officials.
The man’s return on Thursday reduced the number of Hong Kong residents still detained at scam centres in Thai-Myanmar and Myanmar-Laos border areas from 12 to 11.
“We subsequently confirm that one of the stranded Hongkongers has taken a return flight to Hong Kong and has been received by our colleagues from the Security Bureau, police and the Immigration Department at the airport,” Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung said in a social media post.
“My team and I will continue to follow up and hope all Hongkongers can get home safely.”

The released Hongkonger returned to the city from Myanmar. The bureau posted photos online of the returnee wearing a T-shirt and trousers while carrying a black backpack.
Former district councillor Andy Yu Tak-po said the man’s case was one of eight he was helping with. He had been detained in a camp in Myanmar for less than six months.
Yu said his family had learned of his arrival but so far had not met him in person as he was sent for a body examination and police investigation.
“His family handed in a ransom on Tuesday and he was released afterwards,” Yu added, without revealing the amount paid.
Yu said the government helped the man after he reported difficulties in boarding a flight in Myanmar to city authorities.
Officials, meanwhile, met family members of other victims and shared updates on them during an almost hour-long exchange.
One of three family members who attended said officials asked them to have more faith in the government but declined to share details.
The man, who asked to be identified as Kelvin, said Undersecretary for Security Michael Cheuk Hau-yip attended the meeting.
“The meeting sent some positive signals and our confidence in family members coming back has been enhanced,” Kelvin said.
But he added that no timetable for a rescue was provided during the meeting.
The bureau sent a task force, led by Cheuk, to Thailand at the weekend to step up efforts to rescue victims who had been scammed and sent to countries such as Myanmar and Cambodia.
The delegation met Thai authorities, including representatives of the anti-human trafficking committee under the local ministry of justice, and officials from the Chinese embassy in Bangkok.
News about the man’s release came hours after Tang expressed confidence on the odds of rescuing Hongkongers detained in Southeast Asia.
“Unlike before, staff from the Hong Kong side now have direct contact with supervisors in the region who are in charge of the rescue … That helps a lot in enhancing efficiency and staying on the same page for collaboration,” Tang said in a television interview.
He said the government would spare no effort in bringing them back despite the challenges. Tang urged families not to pay any ransom and to cooperate with police.
“If you receive any ransom request, the first thing you should do is to contact us because you do not know whether it is a scam,” he said


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Another Hongkonger back home after release from Southeast Asian ‘scam farm’

The victim is received by members of the Security Bureau, police and the Immigration Department at Hong Kong airport. Photo: Security Bureau

Family members of victims gather outside the government headquarters on Thursday. Photo: Nora Tam

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Undersecretary for Security Michael Cheuk (centre) and the task force returned to Hong Kong from Bangkok on Tuesday night. Photo: SCMP

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The Security Bureau is considering whether to upgrade its travel warning for Thailand. Photo: Sam Tsang

Undersecretary for Security Michael Cheuk (right) meets members of Thailand’s police force. Photo: Sam Tsang

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Thailand is under an amber outbound travel alert, the lowest level on Hong Kong’s three-tier system.  Photo: EPA-EFE

Undersecretary for Security Michael Cheuk (left) has led a task force on a trip to Thailand. Photo: Elson Li

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Rescue efforts bring down number of people missing in Thai-Myanmar or Myanmar-Laos border areas to 11.


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