Airport triad taskforce

TRIADS from the Sun Yee On, 14K and Wo Sing Wo, who have been extorting money from contractors on projects for the new airport, are facing a three-pronged assault.

Police, contractors and thousands of site workers on Lantau Island have formed an alliance against the triads, which have been competing among each other for the potentially rich pickings.

Arson attacks in recent months have caused about $1.6 million in damage to trucks, bulldozers, offices and other equipment owned by contractors working on core projects for the new Chek Lap Kok airport.

Demands for payments of between $4,000-$5,000 have been made to a number of companies and police believe that many have given in rather than risk injury and property damage.

''We do suspect that some money has been paid silently to these triads,'' Chief Inspector Eric Wong Tak-wing, of the Marine Police regional crime unit, said yesterday.

But starting on Monday, a select team of detectives will begin investigating leads expected to flow from an intelligence-sharing programme involving the police, contractors and their employees on the ground.