Hundreds arrested, some with ‘triad ties’, in series of raids on brothels, gambling dens and illicit petrol sellers in Hong Kong’s New Territories
- Joint operations turn up drugs, illegal cigarettes and a record haul of illicit petrol
- Eleven of those arrested are alleged to have triad backgrounds, though most are believed to be customers of the illicit enterprises
A total of 325 people, including 11 suspected triad society members, were rounded up in a multi-department crackdown targeting the gang-controlled drug, sex and illicit fuel trades in the suburban townships of Yuen Long and Tin Shui Wai in northwestern Hong Kong in recent days.
The joint police, customs and fire services operation also led to the seizure of more than 4,000 litres of untaxed petrol in one illicit fuelling site in Yuen Long – the largest bust of its kind in more than a decade.
Yuen Long police district assistant commander Superintendent Au Yeung Siu-kong said officers raided a total of 22 brothels, gambling dens, illegal bars, and illicit fuelling stations between August 11 and 19.
Drugs, 30,000 illicit cigarettes and 17,100 litres of untaxed petrol and diesel fuel – worth a total of HK$520,000 on the market – were seized during the raids, the superintendent said.
“We believe the crackdown has dealt a blow to the triad gang in the area, and effectively hit their income sources,” Au Yeung said.
Among those arrested were 157 men and 168 women, aged 17 to 82, including 11 alleged to have triad society backgrounds. Most of those picked up at the premises were believed to be customers, according to Au Yeung, who also said investigation was under way into whether the customers could have breached the anti-Covid-19 restrictions on social gathering.