Raid yields suspected mini-arsenal of 14K triad
A semi-automatic pistol, loaded with four rounds of ammunition, 15 knives and an extendable baton were yesterday seized in a Mongkok shop that police said was being used by a triad gang to store a mini-arsenal.
The cache of weapons, believed to have been stored by the 14K triad gang, was understood to be intended for gang fights and showdowns against rival groups.
The discovery of the cache comes amid an upsurge in late-night violence in the Kowloon West region this year.
A family of three and two other men, aged between 20 and 52, were arrested after a series of raids in connection with the alleged weapons cache in the Mongkok shop and at eight other locations.
Last night, the five suspects were being held for questioning in Kowloon City police station. No one has been charged.
A group of heavily-armed officers wearing bulletproof vests raided the ground-floor shop in Cheung Wong Commercial Complex in Cheung Wong Road before dawn and discovered the 7.62mm-calibre pistol and the other weapons.
'The handgun appears to be a copy of the Chinese-made Black Star and it is believed to be made in an underground gun factory. Preliminary examinations show it is in good condition and serviceable. We are still investigating whether it has been used previously and how it was smuggled into the territory,' said Superintendent Ip Wai-Keung, head of the Kowloon West regional crime unit.
Seven beef knives, two machetes, three samurai swords, two daggers, a Gurkha knife and an extendable baton were seized with the pistol at the shop.
A couple and their 20-year-old daughter were arrested.
Separately, officers from Kowloon West regional crime unit also raided eight residential units throughout the territory and arrested another two men.
