A Hong Kong beautician has admitted tricking two women into forced labour and confinement in Southeast Asia by offering them free flights and accommodation and promising a lucrative reward for transporting 48 million baht (US$1.4 million) more than a year ago.

Poon Sum-yi, 33, pleaded guilty at the District Court on Friday to a count of fraud for luring the two victims into travelling to Thailand, before they were “sold” to a Chinese-run scam factory in neighbouring Myanmar for US$54,000 in December 2024.

The court heard the two women’s relatives paid more than HK$585,000 (US$74,610) in total to secure their release from the unnamed compound the following month.

Peng Xinying, who was jobless, and part-time model Liu Bingbing, were initially invited by Poon to join her on a trip to either Japan or Canada. The pair expressed interest after the accused offered to bear all of their travel expenses.

On December 27, 2024, Poon said she had bought the two women tickets for a flight to Thailand departing at 9pm that day, and that they would return the following night.

The defendant added that the pair would be paid upon transporting 48 million baht.