Officers of the Hong Kong Police Force and the Immigration Services Department distribute leaflets at the check-in service counters of the Hong Kong International Airport to remind travellers to be vigilant against employment fraud and outbound travel safety, on Aug 18, 2022. (PHOTO / INFORMATION SERVICES DEPARTMENT, HKSAR)
HONG KONG – The Security Bureau has set up a a cross-departmental dedicated task force to coordinate law enforcement agencies' work in rescuing Hong Kong residents suspected to have been lured to Southeast Asian countries and forcibly engaged in illegal work.
The Organized Crime and Triad Bureau of the Hong Kong Police Force has taken up the investigation into such cases, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government said, warning the residents against falling victim to such employment scams.
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According to the SB, the city’s law enforcement agencies have received requests for assistance to free 20 Hong Kong people detained in Southeast Asian countries such as Cambodia, Myanmar and Laos since January this year.
The government asked residents not to trust online recruitment advertisements or comments lightly and guard against claims of ways to earn quick money and jobs offering extraordinarily high remuneration with no specific requirements for academic qualification or working experience
Of them, 12 have been confirmed to be safe. Ten of them have returned to Hong Kong, the government said in a press release.
The task force, comprising representatives from the SB, the HKPF and the Immigration Department, will provide assistance to secure the safe return of the people concerned to Hong Kong, including the quarantine arrangements in the city, it added.
The Organized Crime and Triad Bureau has been maintaining close liaison with enforcement agencies in other jurisdictions, and working to exchange intelligence and assistance in investigations through the INTERPOL platform, according the statement.
"The government appeals to the public not to trust online recruitment advertisements or comments lightly and guard against claims of ways to earn quick money and jobs offering extraordinarily high remuneration with no specific requirements for academic qualification or working experience.”
Considering the prospect of such scams, the SB has issued since 2012 an amber outbound travel alert on Myanmar to remind residents who intend to visit the country or are already there to monitor the situation, exercise caution, and attend to their personal safety.
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Residents have also been asked to avoid all non-essential travel to the northern and western states of Myanmar and areas along the border with the Chinese mainland China, Laos and Thailand.
"With regard to recent cases, the SB has included alerts on overseas job scams in the ‘Other Travel Information’ section on the website for Outbound Travel Alerts," reads the press release.
Starting Thursday, the HKPF and the Immigration Department will distribute flyers at the boarding counters of outbound flights to the relevant Southeast Asian countries to remind outbound travellers to beware of employment scams and pay attention to travel safety.