Organised crime outfits in Guangdong are growing bigger, becoming more sophisticated and recruiting more youngsters thanks to triads from Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan, the province's Higher People's Court says.
Reviewing the results of an 18-month crackdown on organised crime, officials said there were worrying signs that 'overseas' triads had taken root in Guangdong.
'Overseas infiltration is getting more obvious,' said the court's spokesman, Chen Cao.
Triads were involved in industries including transport, construction, entertainment and wholesale markets, he said. Many gang members were in their 20s. Some were teenagers.
'Crime organisations from overseas have been increasingly open and daring in recruiting members, particularly those with no proper jobs. They are expanding into a network,' the spokesman was quoted as saying by Xinhua.
Mr Cao cited a recent case in Guangzhou in which police found a local gang was linked to the Tianlinhui, or Heavenly Way Gang, in Taiwan. The gang controlled many local restaurants and extorted money from them, the report said.
