HK Laws Sufficient To Tackle Trafficking: Chris Tang

Security Secretary Chris Tang said on Friday that more suspected victims of human trafficking gangs are on the way home from Southeast Asia, as he stressed that Hong Kong has sufficient laws to combat the crime.

Tang said authorities are now aware of 41 cases, with 17 of the suspected victims still being held captive in Myanmar and Cambodia. The rest are either safe abroad or have returned to Hong Kong.

The security minister said most of the suspected victims fell prey to job scams and none of the cases involve Hong Kong tourists being abducted while travelling in Southeast Asian countries.

Speaking at a press conference after attending a Fight Crime Committee meeting, Tang said six victims were expected to return to Hong Kong later in the evening.

When asked to comment on calls for the introduction of dedicated legislation targeting human trafficking, he said: "Hong Kong is never an origin country or a transit place or a destination for human trafficking."

"As a matter of fact, we have over 50 different offences in different ordinances that can handle situations relating to trafficking in persons. And actually we have a very robust initial screening mechanism to try to identify if there is any person being trafficked in or out of Hong Kong."

Tang added that through the 14,000 or so screenings carried out in 2020 and 2021, Hong Kong identified four suspected victims.