Saying he felt like he had lived through a “horror movie”, a Hong Kong resident was rescued from detention in Myanmar, where he was forced to do illegal work, the Security Bureau said on Saturday.

The bureau said in a statement that the victim was freed in a joint rescue operation and transferred on Saturday to Thailand, where he was reunited with his family.  

“The Hong Kong resident said he felt like experiencing a horror movie in the past few days and thanked the task force members for visiting Thailand to save him from detention,” the statement reads.

The resident’s family members said they had learned a “precious lesson” and commended the speedy and effective rescue mission, it added.

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The bureau said its dedicated task force earlier received a request for assistance from the victim while he was detained in Myanmar.

The SB immediately liaised with the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the Chinese embassies in Myanmar and Thailand, the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Bangkok, and relevant Thai authorities, and launched the joint rescue operation.

Joe Chan, the SB's government security officer, led the dedicated task force, which included members from the bureau, the Hong Kong Police Force and the Immigration Department, and arrived in Thailand on Saturday.

While in Thailand, task force members met with Police Major General Vitthaya Sripasertpap, commander of Anti-Trafficking in Persons Division, Central Investigation Bureau of Royal Thai Police, to discuss the arrangements for the victim after his rescue.

They also met with personnel from the Chinese embassy in Thailand to thank them for their continued efforts on the case, and for their assistance for the resident and his family.

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Task force members are making arrangements for his return to Hong Kong as soon as possible, and will follow up the case after he comes home.

Since 2024, law enforcement agencies have received a total of 32 requests for assistance involving Hong Kong residents detained in Southeast Asian countries and forced to do illegal work, the bureau said.

Apart from the latest victim, 28 of them have already returned to Hong Kong while two needed no further assistance and follow-up, it added.