Hong Kong police are investigating whether a teenage girl who went missing for several weeks had been involved in cross-border scam farm activities, with mobile phone traces showing she had been in Cambodia before she was found safe.
Hong Kong identity card holder Wu Peishan, 17, had left her hometown of Haifeng in Guangdong province on July 1 for a leisure trip to Beihai, Guangxi, accompanied by friends, her father told mainland Chinese media.
He called her directly on July 5 after failing to reach her by other methods. At first, she claimed to be in Shenzhen, but later admitted she was in Beihai.
On July 9, a friend told her mother that she had been out of contact for two days, sparking their concern, reports said.
The teenager’s phone location on July 5 showed she was in Vietnam, according to a police insider.
The parents found that the girl’s phone location on July 7 was Svay Rieng, a border province in southeastern Cambodia. This was reportedly the location of the last available signal.
The worried parents filed police reports in both Hong Kong and Haifeng.
Her father also posted a US$5,000 reward on Southeast Asian social media platforms, seeking information on her whereabouts in Cambodia.
On July 13, someone reached out claiming to have seen her inside a scam compound near the Cambodian border. After reportedly dispatching contacts to investigate the area, her father said there was no trace of her.
On Wednesday, a Hong Kong police source said the girl had been located safely in Cambodia and was currently under the care of Chinese authorities in the country. Arrangements for her return were pending.
The Post learned that the family, originally from Haifeng, had resident status in Hong Kong. The teenager had returned to the mainland several years ago to live with her mother.
Hong Kong police had launched a “request for police assistance” investigation after receiving calls from the parents, the source said.
The Kowloon West regional crime unit is handling the case. - SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST
