'Selling piglets' scandal in Myanmar: Tang Ping-keung urges family members of imprisoned people to contact police after receiving ransom calls
The terrorist organization operating in Myanmar's scam compound is "selling piglets" (trafficking humans) from various places to engage in illegal activities. Currently, there are still 11 Hong Kong residents imprisoned in the fraud parks in Myanmar. Secretary for Security Tang Ping-keung attended a radio program today (Jan. 16) and stated that if family members receive ransom calls demanding payment, they should immediately contact the police to confirm if it is a phone scam.
He mentioned that in the past, scammers have called the relevant family members for extortion upon learning that someone has been abducted. For each case of being lured to Southeast Asia, the families of the victims directly contact the police, and he emphasized that the authorities will use the best and safest methods to assist in rescuing the victims so they can return to Hong Kong as soon as possible.
A dedicated team from the SAR government has gone to Thailand to follow up on cases of illegal confinement of individuals in Southeast Asia. Tang noted that both sides have exchanged important information and are aware that Thailand attaches great importance to these cases. He believes this will increase the chances of Hong Kong residents returning home soon.
"Rescuing the relevant Hong Kong residents is not easy, but all parties will make every effort to do so."
Tang mentioned that from 2022 to 2023, 46 Hong Kong residents were lured to work in Southeast Asia, with 43 of them having returned to Hong Kong later, while the other 3 have been confirmed safe but chose not to return. Until the second quarter of last year, the authorities found that related cases had reappeared and have maintained close contact with local authorities.
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