Tang said the victims – three men and three women aged between 29 and 44 – had been held for five to seven months, after falling for job scams.
He said Myanmar soldiers rescued them overnight and sent them to Thailand, adding that they are in good health and will arrive in Hong Kong on Friday night.
“It was a rescue operation, so we did not pay any ransom,” the minister told reporters at the airport after returning from Thailand.
“25 people, including these six, have returned, or will be returning to Hong Kong. The SAR government will spare no effort to rescue the remaining three people [trapped in Southeast Asia].”
Tang was due to attend an event on Lantau on Thursday, but cancelled it at the last minute.
He said he couldn’t announce his trip because of the need to keep the rescue operation under wraps.
The minister also thanked Beijing officials from the Ministries of Public Security and Foreign Affairs, as well as authorities in Myanmar and Thailand for taking part in the mission.
