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Human trafficking

Human trafficking
The latest news, analysis and opinion on Human trafficking. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.
last updated:
9 September, 2024
Undersecretary for Security Michael Cheuk says the group has had “good communications on the latest situation and intelligence”. Photo: Sam Tsang
Crime in Hong Kong

Hong Kong task force receives ‘eager response’ from Thailand over detainees

Government hopes to rescue victims as soon as possible but there is no timeline in place, task force official says.

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Myanmar

Myanmar’s thriving ‘Scam City’ outfoxes efforts to shut it down

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Trending in China

Shock as Chinese man learns father ‘found’ 16 years ago is fake and foster parent

Crime in Hong Kong

Can Hong Kong task force in Thailand help prevent more ‘high-paying’ job scams?

Lawmaker says it is the right diplomatic move, while another believes it will remind residents to think twice before agreeing to job offers.

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The task force, led by Undersecretary for Security Michael Cheuk, left for Bangkok on Sunday night. Photo: Elson Li
Hong Kong politics

Hong Kong sends task force to Thailand to look into cases of trapped residents

Authorities also warn kidnappers have changed tactics, pretending to arrange for victims to take goods to Japan or Taiwan before changing destinations.

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Asia travel

Chinese cancel Thai holidays as actor Wang Xing’s kidnapping fuels safety fears

Thailand is expected to take a tourism and economic hit from Lunar New Year trip cancellations.

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Ukraine war

UK targets Chinese boat makers in new sanctions to curb migrant crossings

The government said the sanctions would target both smugglers and the Chinese manufacturers of their boats and engines.

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Migrants board a smuggler’s inflatable dinghy in an attempt to cross the English Channel. Photo: AFP
The Philippines

Pogos ‘in stealth mode’ spark concerns about Philippine national security

Smaller breakaway networks could still ‘co-opt the country’s systems’ to continue underground and influence local politics, analysts warn.

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The Philippines

Cambodia pardons 13 Philippine mothers for surrogacy scheme

Surrogacy is banned in Cambodia, and the women, convicted of attempted human trafficking, were among 24 foreign women detained in September.

BYD

Brazil suspends work visas for BYD amid claims of ‘slavery-like conditions’

Announcement came days after labour authorities also said they found Chinese workers at factory in Bahia were victims of human trafficking.

BYD’s electric vehicle factory’s construction site in Camacari, Brazil. Photo: Reuters
Brazil

Brazil says ‘enslaved’ Chinese workers at BYD site victims of human trafficking

BYD and its contractor Jinjiang have agreed to house the 163 labourers in hotels until a deal to end their contracts is reached.

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BYD’s new electric vehicle factory’s construction site in Camacari, Brazil. Photo: Reuters
Italy

Italian deputy PM Salvini acquitted of migrant kidnapping charges

The right-wing leader had blocked a boat carrying over 100 asylum seekers from docking as part of a policy to curb irregular arrivals.

Japan

‘Modern slavery’: the dark truths behind Japan’s foreign trainee scheme

As more victims step forward, the spotlight intensifies on a system that activists say prioritises profit over workers’ dignity and safety.

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The Philippines

Hopes high Mary Jane Veloso will get clemency upon her return to Philippines

Veloso, who was sentenced to death in Indonesia in 2010, is set to fly to Manila on Wednesday as her supporters fight to see her freed.

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Filipino death row inmate Mary Jane Veloso gestures as she leaves Yogyakarta Women’s Prison for her transfer to the capital city of Jakarta in preparation for her repatriation to the Philippines, in Gunung Kidul, Indonesia on Sunday, December 15. Photo: AP
Women and gender

Opinion | Chiung Yao’s celebration of women’s freedom goes deeper than her paeans to love

As Chinese women embrace feminism, the writer’s final celebration of her independence perhaps resonates more deeply than her love stories.

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Taiwanese romance novelist Chiung Yao, who died at the age of 86, after reportedly committing suicide at her home in New Taipei City on December 4. Photo: Weibo/ 会火
The Philippines

‘Stranger than fiction’: how Alice Guo’s case grips Filipinos

The case of former mayor Alice Guo has exposed weaknesses of local agencies in dealing with security gaps linked to Chinese crime syndicates.

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Trending in China

China abductee declines flats and car from birth family to avoid altering ‘mindset’

Man tells father he just needs a flat for his future marital home with girlfriend.

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Women and gender

Years after mentally ill woman went missing, man held on suspicion of rape

‘Zhang knew Bu had a mental illness but still had sexual relations with her and had children,’ say local authorities.

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A 45-year-old Shanxi province woman has been reunited with her family after going missing 13 years ago. A man has been charged with rape, as officials allege she was taken to his home and had his children. Photo: Handout
The Philippines

Philippine gambling revenue to hit record US$6 billion, despite Pogo crackdown

This year’s record revenue comes despite a crackdown on offshore gambling operators, known as Pogos, which have been linked to criminal activity.

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Wellness

She’s told sex trafficking victims’ stories. Now she’s telling her own

Hong Kong-based Sylvia Yu has given voice to sex trafficking victims for years. In her new memoir she inspires young women to be ‘fearless’.

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Indonesia

Indonesia to repatriate death-row convict to the Philippines

The move comes after years of international pressure, particularly from human rights groups and the Philippine government.

Cesar and Celia Veloso, parents of Mary Jane Veloso, join a protest rally to mark the 161th birth anniversary of Andres Bonifacio, widely considered a national hero in Philippine history, in Manila. Photo: EPA-EFE
France

France smashes South Asian migrant trafficking ring, 26 arrested

Traffickers are suspected of having smuggled several thousand people from India, Sri Lanka and Nepal into France.

In December 2023, a plane carrying hundreds of Indian passengers was grounded for days at Vatry airport east of Paris over concerns it was part of a human trafficking scheme. File photo: AP
The Philippines

Philippine crackdown on Pogos sparks fears of underground scams and espionage

The crackdown on scams and human trafficking may push the industry underground, fostering more sophisticated crimes like espionage and disinformation.

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Malaysia

‘Don’t have a choice’: Rohingya child brides trapped in Malaysia’s refugee crisis

Rohingya girls as young as 12 are being forced into marriage in Malaysia, escaping dire conditions in Bangladesh refugee camp.

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United States

2 men convicted after Indian family froze to death at Canada-US border

Harshkumar Patel and Steve Shand took part in a scheme to bring Jagdish Patel, his wife and 2 children into the US during a blizzard.

Jagdish and Vaishaliben Patel, are seen with their children, Dharmik, 3, and Vihangi, 11. Photo: Royal Canadian Mounted Police Manitoba via TNS
European Union

Will Andrew Tate’s human trafficking trial collapse after evidence removal?

A Romanian court found flaws in the indictment, giving prosecutors five days to decide whether to proceed with the trial or withdraw the case.

Social media influencer Andrew Tate is seen near the French Embassy in Bucharest, Romania on July 28. Photo: AP
Donald Trump

US House speaker opposes call to release ethics report on Trump’s AG pick Gaetz

Donald Trump’s pick for attorney general, Matt Gaetz, has been investigated for sexual misconduct, misuse of campaign funds and illicit drug use.

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South Korea

Rohingya smugglers deported from South Korea to Thailand after 5-year manhunt

The arrests expose the human trafficking crisis in Thailand, and the need for better protections for Rohingya refugees.

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