According to reports from Wen Wei Po and other Hong Kong media, there are suspicions that Hong Kong residents were lured to Southeast Asian countries where they were illegally detained and forced into illegal work. So far, 17 people have returned to Hong Kong, while 11 are still awaiting rescue.
John Lee, the Secretary for Security of the Hong Kong SAR Government, stated that details could not be disclosed due to police or military operations, but emphasized that the government will continue to exchange intelligence with Thai authorities and maintain contact with the families of the detained Hong Kong residents, striving to rescue them back to Hong Kong.
According to reports, since 2024, Hong Kong law enforcement agencies have received 28 cases involving Hong Kong residents claiming to be detained in Southeast Asian countries and unable to leave. Of these, 17 have returned to Hong Kong. The dedicated task force will continue to follow up on the remaining 11 cases.
The reports also mentioned that the Hong Kong SAR Government has raised the travel advisory level to red for the southeastern part of Myanmar due to increased risks for Hong Kong residents in the area.
It was also reported that about 234,000 Hong Kong dollars in ransom was paid by the families of the detained residents, which allowed their relatives to return to Hong Kong. John Lee mentioned that these are successful return cases and not all involved ransom payments, as details could not be disclosed due to police or military operations.
John Lee also stated that he will continue to exchange intelligence with Thai authorities and keep in contact with the families of the detained Hong Kong residents, working to rescue the citizens back to Hong Kong. Regarding the legal community's opinion that legislation should be specifically enacted to combat human trafficking, he noted that Hong Kong already has over 50 statutes dealing with related crimes, and the current priority is to rescue the victims.
According to previous reports, the Deputy Secretary for Security of Hong Kong, Cheuk Hiu-yeung, led a dedicated task force to Thailand to follow up on cases involving Hong Kong residents suspected of being lured to Southeast Asia for illegal detention and work. They completed their mission and returned to Hong Kong on the 14th.
