Hong Kong sends task force to Thailand to look into cases of trapped residents
Authorities also warn kidnappers have changed tactics, pretending to arrange for victims to take goods to Japan or Taiwan before changing destinations
Hong Kong dispatched a task force to Thailand on Sunday evening to meet local authorities and help bring back a dozen residents lured to Southeast Asian countries and forced into illegal work.
City authorities also warned that kidnappers had recently changed tactics, pretending to arrange for victims to take goods to Japan or Taiwan before changing destinations at the last minute.
The trip will see officials from Hong Kong’s Security Bureau, Immigration Department and police meet members of an anti-human trafficking committee overseen by the Thai Prime Minister’s Office.
The task force is also expected to meet local police and staff from China’s embassy in Thailand.
The Post learned that the delegation planned to return to Hong Kong on Tuesday night.
The recent rescue of mainland Chinese actor Wang Xing, who was kidnapped along the border between Thailand and Myanmar, has prompted fresh calls for Hong Kong authorities to ensure the return of residents believed to be held captive in the region.
Hong Kong law enforcement had received 28 requests for help from residents believed to have been trapped in Southeast Asian countries and unable to leave since the second quarter of 2024, the Security Bureau said. Sixteen people had returned to the city so far.
