Hong Kong police have arrested a beautician for allegedly luring two young women to Southeast Asia, as authorities grapple with attempts to rescue trafficked Hongkongers held captive in the region.
Police on Wednesday arrested the 32-year-old woman on suspicion of conspiring to commit deception. She allegedly lured two young women, aged 23 and 21, to go to Thailand in October last year for quick cash, but the pair were soon kidnapped and transferred to a “scam farm” in Myanmar upon arrival.
Chief inspector Yu Pok-hon of the New Territories South crime bureau said police received missing person reports relating to two women last October 30 and on January 1 this year, respectively. Upon investigation, the pair were found to have left for Thailand via the Hong Kong International Airport last October 27, Yu told a press briefing.
After their flight, family members soon lost contact with the pair and later received messages saying that they were being held captive at an unknown location in Myanmar, Yu said.
The messages also demanded US$28,000 (HK$218,053) in exchange for the pair’s freedom, he added.
Police contacted the Immigration Department and authorities in Thailand and Myanmar, Yu said, adding that the pair had returned to Hong Kong on January 11.
‘Movie-like’ scam farm
The pair told police upon returning to the city that they had befriended a woman who “spent frivolously,” and who often paid for their entertainment, according to the chief inspector.
“On October 27, 2024, this woman suddenly offered the two victims a free trip to Thailand on that day,” Yu said in Cantonese. “She lured the pair by saying there would be handsome rewards for transferring Thai Baht cash in Thailand.”
Once the pair arrived in Thailand, they boarded a pre-arranged vehicle and had their passports and mobile phones seized by scam ring members there, Yu said.
After a journey of around 12 hours by car and ferries, the pair arrived at a scam farm akin to “what was shown in movies,” he said.
“It was heavily guarded and fenced off with barbed wire. There were even guards dressed in camouflage outfits and holding rifles,” he added.
The pair were then “forced to commit deception works,” which involved learning how to deceive others using scripts and persona provided by the scam ring, according to Superintendent lu Wing-kan.
Iu also said the pair’s families had paid the ransom, but he did not disclose the amount at the press briefing.
He added that the pair met the arrested woman at a bar, and that police were investigating whether more victims – or an organised criminal group – were linked to the woman.
Iu warned residents that conspiracy to commit deception was a serious offence, which could carry 14 years behind bars upon conviction.
12 remain in captivity
Speaking at the same press briefing, Chief Inspector Chan Wing-kwan of the New Territories South Crime Prevention Office said residents should stay alert when job hunting and avoid employment promotions that offered quick cash for overseas missions.
She urged residents to share anti-deception information with families and friends, especially with those who had plans to travel abroad recently.
Authorities have received 28 requests for assistance regarding Hongkongers being held captive in Southeast Asian countries since mid-2024. Sixteen of them have since returned to the city, according to security chief Chris Tang.
A Security Bureau-led task force visited Thailand between Sunday and Tuesday in an effort to work with Thai authorities to rescue the 12 Hongkongers who remain in captivity.
Upon returning to the city on Tuesday night, Undersecretary for Security Michael Cheuk said 11 people were being held in Myanmar and one person was in Cambodia.
Cheuk said that Thai police would need time to track the trafficked Hongkongers given the “complex situations” in Myanmar, adding that measures had been rolled out to ensure the safety of Hongkongers there.
Myanmar has been embroiled in a civil war since the military’s 2021 coup overturned a democratically-elected government led by Aung San Suu Kyi.
Support HKFP | Policies & Ethics | Error/typo? | Contact Us | Newsletter | Transparency & Annual Report | Apps
Help safeguard press freedom & keep HKFP free for all readers by supporting our team
Source link
