One more Hongkonger has been rescued from a scam farm in a Myanmar border town, days after a top Beijing official said 36 Chinese-run scam gangs are operating in the area.
The 31-year-old Hong Kong woman was rescued on Sunday from Myawaddy, a town in southeastern Myanmar near the Thai border, Bangkok-based English newspaper The Nation reported.
It was a joint operation by the Royal Thai Army and Royal Thai Police, the report said, adding that the Myawaddy area “is known to be a major hub for Chinese call-centre gangs and online gambling operators.”
Hong Kong’s government also confirmed on Sunday night that one more Hong Kong resident “who was held for illegal work in Myanmar” had been rescued and arrived in Thailand.
Arrangements will be made for the victim to return to Hong Kong as soon as possible, according to the government, which added that a task force led by Hong Kong’s Security Bureau has been maintaining communication with the Thai authorities and the rescued Hong Kong resident.
The city has seen an increasing number of Hongkongers trafficked to Myanmar and Cambodia and detained there to work as scam callers.
According to authorities, a total of 28 requests to help kidnapped Hongkongers have been filed since mid-2024, and so far 19 of them have been rescued.
Nine Hong Kong residents are still being detained, with eight in Myanmar and one in Cambodia.
36 Chinese scam gangs ’employing’ thousands
There are currently 36 Chinese-run scam gangs operating in Myawaddy, “employing more than 100,000 callers” to defraud people, said Liu Zhongyi, China’s assistant minister of public security, who visited Thailand last week.
Liu shared the information during a meeting with Trairong Phiwpan, commissioner of Thailand’s Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau, on Monday last week, Thai media outlets reported.
The top Chinese official visited Thailand to seek cooperation with Thai authorities to combat Chinese scam gangs.
In mid-January, Chinese actor Wang Xing, who was reported missing along Thailand’s border with Myanmar, was rescued following exchanges between Thai and Chinese authorities.
