A family member of a kidnapped victim is accompanied by former District Councillor Andy Yu (right) to petition for help. -- Photo: Jelly Tse/SCMP
HONG KONG: A second Hong Kong man has been rescued from Myanmar after being lured into forced illegal labour in South-East Asia, according to a former district councillor who has been helping victims.
Andy Yu Tak-po revealed the development on Monday afternoon after accompanying a family member of a kidnapped victim to submit a petition letter at the Myanmar Consulate General in Hong Kong earlier that day. No member of the consulate, however, was sent to receive the letter.
“Another Hongkonger who was illegally detained and assisted by us was rescued from Myanmar last night, and is now in Thailand,” Yu wrote on social media in a report by SCMP.
Yu told the SCMP that the man called his family about his release from four months of captivity in a “scam farm” after arriving in Bangkok on Sunday night, adding the case did not involve paying a ransom.
“The man is now staying in a safe space in Bangkok. The family has already reported to police and the Immigration Department.
"We hope the Economic and Trade Office in Bangkok can help him handle some financial issues, including the cost incurred for overstaying in Thailand and the return airfare to Hong Kong,” Yu said.
It remained unclear when the man would return to Hong Kong, he said, adding the family had urged the government to speed things up.
Yu shared on social media on Monday that the male victim was released on Sunday (Jan 19) and has arrived in Thailand, although the exact date of return to Hong Kong has yet to be confirmed.
He also mentioned that the male victim is in good health.
Earlier. a 23-year-old female victim paid a ransom of US$28,000, approximately HK$218,000 and returned to Hong Kong on January 11.
Another victim, aged 25, was able to come back home last Tuesday (Jan 16) after paying a ransom in exchange for his freedom.
Meanwhile, China Daily also reported earlier that a Hong Kong resident who had been detained in a Myanmar scam farm returned home safely on Thursday, marking another success in authorities’ efforts to rescue human trafficking victims.
The 25-year-old man was among 12 people whom Hong Kong authorities confirmed were being stranded in similar scam operations. To date, 17 of the 28 residents — who were lured to Southeast Asia in 2024 and held against their will — have returned home.
During a news conference on last Thursday night, the Hong Kong Police Force revealed that the victim travelled to Thailand in October in response to an advertisement offering him HK$120,000 ($15,409) to transport diamonds from Thailand to Taiwan.
Instead of the promised job, he was taken from Bangkok to a scam farm in Myanmar, and forced to conduct online fraudulent scams, working 17 hours a day.
Police displayed photos of his injuries as he was beaten and deprived of meals for his failure to meet the criminal gang’s demands.
His family was asked to pay a US$30,000 ransom to secure his release, police said, though they did not disclose the final settlement.
Police said they will spare no effort to save the 11 remaining residents being detained — 10 in Myanmar and one in Cambodia. All victims reported restrictions on their movements but said they were safe and able to contact their families or the Hong Kong task force.
Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung met with the Thailand consul general in Hong Kong, Chaturont Chaiyakam, on Thursday, to discuss plans to rescue Hong Kong residents.
Tang thanked Thai authorities for their assistance, adding that both sides will continue to discuss strategies to rescue Hong Kong residents detained and forced into illegal work in Southeast Asia.
The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government will continue to pursue the rescue missions until every detained Hong Kong resident can return home safely, Tang said.
Also on Thursday, relatives of the trapped residents met with Security Bureau officials for operational updates. Police withheld specific details, citing safety concerns.
Some relatives thanked authorities for the immediate response, and called for continued assistance in helping victims reunite with their families in Hong Kong before Chinese New Year on Jan 29.
Executive Council member and senior counsel Ronny Tong Ka-wah said that introducing specific anti-human trafficking legislation could be an effective way to curb such crimes.
Prosecuting human trafficking on fraud charges may permit the indictment only of certain categories of individuals, which may allow some perpetrators to escape justice, he said.
The penalty for human trafficking should also be aligned with that of kidnapping — an offense that carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment, Tong added.
On Monday, police arrested a 32-year-old local woman, and charged her with conspiracy to defraud for allegedly luring two women to South-East Asia in December. The victims, who were forced to take part in fraudulent activities while being held against their will, returned to Hong Kong on Saturday after a ransom was paid.
The suspect appeared at Shatin Magistrates’ Courts on Thursday. The trial was postponed to March 13, with the suspect being denied bail. - Agencies