Hong Kong to send task force to Thailand to look into cases of trapped residents

Hong Kong’s Security Bureau is sending a task force to Thailand on Sunday afternoon to follow up on cases involving residents being lured and trapped in Southeast Asian countries to engage in illegal work.

The incident of mainland Chinese actor Wang Xing, who was recently held captive in Myanmar after travelling to Thailand, raised alarm among Hong Kong residents.

The Security Bureau on Sunday said law enforcement had received a total of 28 requests for help involving Hong Kong residents in Southeast Asian countries claiming to be trapped and unable to leave since the second quarter in 2024. Sixteen individuals had been returned to the city so far.

In the remaining 12 cases, individuals had reported restrictions on their freedom of movement but remained safe and able to communicate with their families or the task force.

Acting principal assistant secretary for Security Daisy Hui Hei-man will lead the task force of 11 people. Members will take flight CX757 operated by Cathay Pacific Airways to Bangkok at 8.25pm.

Former district councillor Andy Yu Tak-po, who has helped family members of Hong Kong residents who had been kidnapped, told the Post he had received seven pleas for assistance and was concerned about a recent change in the modus operandi of scam syndicates.

“They have shifted their recruitment tactics away from offering high-paying positions. Now they entice victims by hiring them as purchasing agents in Japan and Taiwan, which is a very common job for a lot of content creators, thinking it is just a normal job,” he said, alluding to information he had gleaned from some family members.