The family of the Hongkonger who came home safely from a Myanmar scam farm paid a ransom for him to return alive, a former district councillor who helped in the rescue said, with police stating the amount to be US$30,000.
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Andy Yu Tak-po, a former district councillor, revealed there were negotiations about how much the ransom was going to be and that the scammers communicated with the family directly through video calls that showed the victim.
“The amount involved to have the victim released was much lower than what we previously mentioned, which is perhaps what contributed to the family’s change of mind [to pay the ransom],” Yu said.
“Previously, paying up was one of our last resorts because of the large sum [they asked for],” he said. “Now we see ransoms as one viable option, which has also given confidence to other families [whose loved ones are still captured].”
Yu revealed that the Hongkonger was helped by a fellow released detainee from Taiwan, also from the same scam factory, who provided him with money to get to the airport from the Thai border, as the victim was believed to have only his phone and clothing on him.
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The district councillor also said that the request from the scam factory for ransom came one to two weeks ago, with the family consulting police, Yu himself, as well as the rest of the family before making the decision.