Hong Kong security officials’ visit to Thailand can serve as a fresh warning to residents vulnerable to high-paying job scams, although it is unlikely to lead to the immediate return of those being lured to work in Southeast Asia, a lawmaker has said.
Security legislator Gary Chan Hak-kan explained the government had dispatched the task force following a sudden increase in missing persons reports over the past month, pleas for assistance by the families of victims and the recent rescue of mainland Chinese actor Wang Xing, who fell prey to a human trafficking network.
The task force, led by Undersecretary for Security Michael Cheuk Hau-yip, left for Bangkok on Sunday night. Its members plan to meet officials from Thai authorities and the Chinese embassy there, including representatives of the anti-human trafficking committee under the local ministry of justice.
“Perhaps after the initial news about such cases died down two years ago, people let their guards down towards such high-paying jobs,” Chan, a panel member who helped victims in 2022, told the Post on Sunday.
“The government’s high-profile trip can help with the current cases while also taking the chance to remind residents that they should think twice before agreeing to these jobs.”
He said he expected the Security Bureau’s task force to work closely with the Economic and Trade Office (ETO) in Bangkok and the Chinese embassy in the Thai capital.
