The Security Bureau announced today that it has set up a dedicated task force on recent employment fraud in Southeast Asian countries to provide all possible help to assistance seekers.

It reaffirmed that it attaches great importance to recent incidents in which Hong Kong people were suspected to have been lured to Southeast Asian countries, such as Cambodia, Myanmar and Laos, and detained to engage in illegal work.

In this regard, the bureau has set up a dedicated task force that includes representatives from the bureau, the Immigration Department and Police Force to co-ordinate follow-up action by the relevant law enforcement agencies (LEAs) in providing all possible help to assistance seekers.

It explained that the task force will actively follow up on requests for assistance and maintain close contact with family members of the people concerned, the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the local Chinese embassy or consulate general and INTERPOL to follow up on the cases.

The bureau noted that the task force will provide assistance to secure the safe return of the people concerned to Hong Kong, including making quarantine arrangements in the city.

Meanwhile, Police’s Organized Crime & Triad Bureau has taken up the investigation of relevant cases. It will maintain close liaison with enforcement agencies in other jurisdictions and contact overseas LEAs in relation to the exchange of intelligence and assistance in investigations through the INTERPOL platform.

Since January, Hong Kong's LEAs have received requests for assistance in relation to 20 Hong Kong people in total. Among them, 12 are confirmed to be safe and 10 others have returned to Hong Kong.

Local residents who need help while staying outside Hong Kong may contact the department’s 24-hour hotline at (852) 1868, call the 1868 hotline by network data call via the department’s mobile application or submit the Online Assistance Request Form.

Citizens should also make a report to Police as soon as practicable if a scam is suspected.