Police confirm triad feud behind killing

A long-running feud between the Wo Shing Wo and Sun Yee On triad societies has been identified as being behind the brutal killing of a high-ranking gangster in Tsim Sha Tsui.

Police investigating the case believe arrests would be possible soon as they were collecting evidence, an officer involved in the probe said.

Lee Tai-lung, 41, who was the Tsim Sha Tsui faction leader of the Sun Yee On, was ambushed in a predawn attack on August 4 after parking his Mercedes-Benz at the five-star Kowloon Shangri-La hotel in Mody Road.

Lee was first rammed by a seven-seater van and then hacked to death by three knife-wielding men who jumped out of another car. Both vehicles were later found burned out in Tai Po. The murder bore the hallmarks of a Wo Shing Wo hit.

'The motive has been established. A [Sun Yee On] in-house power struggle has been ruled out,' an officer involved in the murder probe said. 'We are now in a state of collecting evidence.'

Police believe more than five people were involved. As well as the two drivers and three attackers, the officer said, lookouts were probably deployed for the brazen strike. Describing the murder as premeditated and well organised, the investigator said it was a professional killing, which made it difficult for police to collect evidence.