A man is pleading for his 20-year-son to return home safe and sound after the latter was not heard from for a month following a trip to Thailand.
The family also fears that the young man may have found himself getting entangled with syndicates involved in drugs or scams.
Told family of Thailand trip
Speaking at a press conference, Tan, who worked as a Puspakom runner, said his son had informed the family on June 16 that he would be travelling to Bangkok with his former employer and several colleagues.
Tan added that he didn’t sense anything amiss as his wife was from Thailand and the family would visit her relatives there once or twice every year.
However, the 20-year-old was never heard from again starting June 23 despite mutiple attempts by the family to contact him, reported China Press.
Shocking phone call
On June 29, Tan’s wife received a call from an unknown person who claimed her son had been arrested by police in Hong Kong.
“She tried calling the number back, but no one answered. Although our son’s number remained reachable via WhatsApp, he never picked up, making it seem as though someone else was in possession of his phone,” said Tan.
He was also deeply emotional during the press conference, where he broke down in tears and said he was unable to sleep since his son’s disappearance.
Tan added a police report was lodged at Sentul police station on July 4, but no updates on his son’s whereabouts were given so far, causing him to turn to MCA Public Services and Complaints Department head Datuk Seri Michael Chong for help.
The family also fears the young man may have fallen victim to a drug mule syndicate or a credit card scam.
Will seek help from Wisma Putra
Meanwhile, Chong, who was also present, said he will accompany Tan to Wisma Putra to obtain further information and seek assistance from the Foreign Ministry in finding his son through diplomatic and consular channels, if needed, reported NST.
He added his department received 25 missing persons-related reports last year, with some being linked to drug offences, scam syndicates, arrests and cross-border criminal activities.
Chong also warned the public not to trust “good Samaritans” claiming to be able to locate or rescue missing persons in exchange for payment as it’s a scam tactic.
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