Latest news with #triad
South China Morning Post
2 days ago
- South China Morning Post
16-year-old Hong Kong student among 4 arrested over HK$380,000 luxury item scam
A 16-year-old Form Five student and a person with a triad background were among four suspects arrested by the Hong Kong police in an operation targeting a criminal syndicate using bounced cheques to scam sellers of luxury items. Cheung Wai-shan, chief inspector of the force's regional crime unit in Western District, said on Saturday that the syndicate was responsible for at least 16 cases amounting to HK$380,000 (US$48,568). The scammers would approach sellers on online buy-and-sell platforms to purchase luxury watches, audio systems or expensive electronics, according to police. 'They would purchase mule accounts which have no actual balances and use their chequebooks to deposit funds into the sellers' accounts,' she said. The sellers would hand over the items by post or in person, mistakenly believing that the payment had been deposited into their accounts, only to realise a few days later that they had been scammed when the cheques bounced. 'The syndicate would then resell the items for profit,' she added. Police investigations revealed a syndicate operating across Hong Kong using these methods.
South China Morning Post
09-08-2025
- South China Morning Post
67 arrested in crackdown on triad-controlled prostitution ring in Hong Kong
Hong Kong police have arrested 67 people after an undercover operation found a triad group running membership clubs and bars that brought in sex workers from Thailand, Taiwan and mainland China. A source said on Saturday that the operation was the third recent effort targeting triad group Sun Yee On, including senior-ranking gangster 'Little B'. He was allegedly also involved in laundering nearly HK$40 billion by a syndicate that the force smashed last month. In the July operation, police arrested 82 people and seized assets worth over HK$15 million (US$1.9 million), including a giant Labubu doll estimated to cost HK$1 million. Superintendent Chau Ka-man said on Saturday that the force sent an undercover officer in March to infiltrate the triad group to collect intelligence and evidence, and found that the syndicate operated members' clubs and bars to sell sex worker services to customers. The syndicate charged an 'extortionate' commission, with each transaction ranging between HK$5,000 and HK$10,000, and the workers receiving about 40 per cent or less, Chau said. 'The sex workers were primarily recruited from Thailand, Taiwan, and the mainland, with the syndicate providing food and accommodation during their stay as well as drivers between their residence and different entertainment venues for their clients,' he said.
South China Morning Post
15-06-2025
- South China Morning Post
9 arrested over fatal triad gang brawl in Hong Kong
Nine individuals with suspected triad backgrounds have been arrested by Hong Kong police following a violent brawl over a debt that left a 68-year-old participant dead. The group comprising five men and four women aged between 27 and 44 were arrested on suspicion of manslaughter and affray. They were still being detained for questioning on Sunday afternoon. The incident took place at around 3am on Saturday near the junction of Hing Wah Street and Shun Ning Road in Cheung Sha Wan, Kowloon. Acting Senior Superintendent Chen Chi-cheong, deputy commander of the Sham Shui Po police district, said on Sunday that two gangs, some armed with metal rods, confronted each other at the scene, resulting in a fight. The gangs had dispersed by the time officers arrived. But a 68-year-old man was later discovered collapsed on Hing Wah Street. He was taken to Caritas Medical Centre in Sham Shui Po, where he was pronounced dead despite receiving emergency treatment. Police believe he also had a triad background.
South China Morning Post
15-06-2025
- South China Morning Post
9 arrested over fatal suspected triad brawl in Hong Kong
Nine individuals with suspected triad backgrounds have been arrested by Hong Kong police following a violent brawl, which left a 68-year-old suspected gang member dead. The group comprising five men and four women aged between 27 and 44 were arrested on suspicion of manslaughter and affray. They were still being detained for questioning on Sunday afternoon. The incident took place around 3am on Saturday near the junction of Hing Wah Street and Shun Ning Road in Cheung Sha Wan, Kowloon. Acting Senior Superintendent Chen Chi-cheong, deputy commander of the Sham Shui Po police district, said on Sunday that two gangs, some armed with metal rods, confronted each other at the scene, resulting in a fight. Although officers responded, the mobs had already dispersed. However, a 68-year-old man was later discovered collapsed in Hing Wah Street. He was taken to Caritas Medical Centre in Sham Shui Po, where he was pronounced dead despite receiving emergency treatment.
South China Morning Post
10-06-2025
- South China Morning Post
Concern in Japan as police investigation uncovers possible yakuza-triad alliance
A police investigation into alleged organised crime activity in Japan has uncovered what experts say could be signs of cooperation between a domestic yakuza faction and Hong Kong's 14K triad, one of Asia's most powerful criminal networks. The concern centres around a video found on a mobile phone seized during an arrest in September last year, which shows individuals sharing glasses of sake – a traditional ritual that experts say can symbolise an oath of loyalty or alliance. According to Jiji Press, the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department said the footage depicted members of the yakuza taking part in the ritual with individuals believed to be part of Hong Kong's 14K triad. The meeting was said to have taken place at a hotel in Yamanashi prefecture in March 2024. Police said the footage was discovered six months later during an unrelated investigation into the illegal resale of mobile phones. However, five of the Japanese men involved in the March hotel meeting were subsequently arrested on a separate charge: failing to declare their alleged affiliations with banned organised crime groups when checking in – an offence under legislation introduced to restrict gang movements and activities. Among those arrested was Kajiro Shirai, 51, who officers identified as a member of the Chinese Dragon gang – a group largely composed of descendants of Japanese nationals who were left in China after World War II and later repatriated. Also detained was Kazuyuki Tajima, 53, who police described as a senior member of the Sumiyoshi-kai, one of Japan's largest yakuza syndicates.
