Hong Kong sends team to Bangkok to help victim of Southeast Asian scam farm
Man, 29, released from scam compound in Myanmar but could be detained in Thailand for weeks
Hong Kong’s security authorities have dispatched a team of officials to help a local man who is said to be stuck in Thailand after being released from a scam farm in Myanmar.
Former district councillor Andy Yu Tak-po, who has been aiding families of local victims trafficked to Southeast Asia, revealed on Tuesday that the man, released on Sunday, might be detained in Bangkok for weeks before being able to return home.
Without naming Yu, Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung thanked an unnamed person for providing “psychological assistance” to victims’ families, but cautioned him against revealing details before the government’s plans were finalised.
“If anyone has got to know of the situation from victims’ families, but publicised what [the families] have said before grasping a holistic view of our plans, this might not be good for those who have yet to be rescued,” Tang warned, adding the family of the man did not pay a ransom to secure his release from the scam farm.
Tang confirmed that his bureau had on Tuesday dispatched to Bangkok another team from a task force dedicated to rescuing Hongkongers stuck in illegal work in Southeast Asian countries, to aid the 29-year-old man’s return.
The minister also confirmed that staff from the Chinese embassy in Bangkok had met the man, adding that a representative from the Thai consulate in the city had earlier promised to help him return to Hong Kong.
Yu made a plea on Tuesday regarding the 29-year-old’s latest status, saying his family was “astonished” that he could face detention in Bangkok for weeks before being able to return.
