A Hong Kong resident who had been detained in a Myanmar scam farm returned home safely on Thursday, marking another success in authorities’ efforts to rescue human trafficking victims.

The 25-year-old man was among 12 people whom Hong Kong authorities confirmed were being stranded in similar scam operations. To date, 17 of the 28 residents — who were lured to Southeast Asia in 2024 and held against their will — have returned home.

During a news conference on Thursday night, the Hong Kong Police Force revealed that the victim traveled to Thailand in October in response to an advertisement offering him HK$120,000 ($15,409) to transport diamonds from Thailand to Taiwan.

Instead of the promised job, he was taken from Bangkok to a scam farm in Myanmar, and forced to conduct online fraudulent scams, working 17 hours a day.

Police displayed photos of his injuries as he was beaten and deprived of meals for his failure to meet the criminal gang’s demands.

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His family was asked to pay a $30,000 ransom to secure his release, police said, though they did not disclose the final settlement.

Police said they will spare no effort to save the 11 remaining residents being detained — 10 in Myanmar and one in Cambodia. All victims reported restrictions on their movements but said they were safe and able to contact their families or the Hong Kong task force.

Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung met with the Thailand consul general in Hong Kong, Chaturont Chaiyakam, on Thursday, to discuss plans to rescue Hong Kong residents.

Tang thanked Thai authorities for their assistance, adding that both sides will continue to discuss strategies to rescue Hong Kong residents detained and forced into illegal work in Southeast Asia.

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government will continue to pursue the rescue missions until every detained Hong Kong resident can return home safely, Tang said.

Also on Thursday, relatives of the trapped residents met with Security Bureau officials for operational updates. Police withheld specific details, citing safety concerns.

Some relatives thanked authorities for the immediate response, and called for continued assistance in helping victims reunite with their families in Hong Kong before Chinese New Year on Jan 29.

Executive Council member and senior counsel Ronny Tong Ka-wah said that introducing specific anti-human trafficking legislation could be an effective way to curb such crimes.

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Prosecuting human trafficking on fraud charges may permit the indictment only of certain categories of individuals, which may allow some perpetrators to escape justice, he said.

The penalty for human trafficking should also be aligned with that of kidnapping — an offense that carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment, Tong added.

On Monday, police arrested a 32-year-old local woman, and charged her with conspiracy to defraud for allegedly luring two women to Southeast Asia in December. The victims, who were forced to take part in fraudulent activities while being held against their will, returned to Hong Kong on Saturday after a ransom was paid.

The suspect appeared at Shatin Magistrates’ Courts on Thursday. The trial was postponed to March 13, with the suspect being denied bail.

Contact the writer at atlasshao@chinadailyhk.com