Suspected Hong Kong triad leader survives gangland hit before driving himself to hospital to have bullet removed from chest
- Gunman hunted after 45-year-old targeted just a few hundred metres from Tsim Sha Tsui Police Station
- Victim, who is believed to be high-ranking member of Wo Shing Wo triad society, out of danger after emergency surgery
A suspected triad faction leader in Hong Kong who narrowly survived a gangland hit just 300 metres from a police station, and then drove himself to hospital, is said to be out of danger after a bullet was removed during emergency surgery.
The 45-year-old man, surnamed Yim, was shot in the chest at close range early on Tuesday, but is no longer in a life-threatening condition, and the Post has learned he had a lucky escape, with the 9mm bullet hitting a rib near his heart.
According to police sources, he is thought to be a high-ranking member of the Wo Shing Wo triad society, and the leader of the Tsuen Wan faction.
Yim was shot by a man on a motorcycle outside the Victoria Mall in Tsim Sha Tsui shortly after midnight, and a citywide manhunt was under way for the gunman.
Police said the shooting happened when the bike pulled up next to the man’s Mercedes-Benz when it stopped at traffic lights at the junction of Austin Road and Canton Road, about 300 metres from Tsim Sha Tsui Police Station.
“The motorcyclist, wearing a white helmet, left his bike, walked a short distance and fired one shot which pierced the car’s left front window and hit the victim’s torso near his armpit,” one source said.
The source said the victim immediately drove off and turned into Canton Road, and managed to drive about 1km to Queen Elizabeth Hospital, in Yau Ma Tei, and managed to run into the accident and emergency department to seek treatment.
During his escape, his car hit three taxis on Jordan Road, but no one was injured.
The source said the hitman, who was wearing blue jeans and a dark-coloured long-sleeve shirt, sped off after the attack, which “just took a few seconds”.
After the shooting, officers wearing bulletproof vests and carrying shotguns, searched the area, and found a spent shell casing at the scene.
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The source said the victim, who is also known as Tsz Sin Yung in underworld triad circles, is suspected to hold the rank of “red-pole fighter”, making him a senior member who acts as an enforcer in the triad.
Another source said Yim was primarily accused of being involved with illegal gambling activities.
“He is also believed to be the leader of the triad’s action squad,” the source said. The squad is used in fights or showdowns for the triad.
The force insider said officers were investigating whether the shooting had been related to a money dispute between two Wo Shing Wo gangs.
“We believe it would involve a huge amount of money, otherwise a pistol would not be used in the attack,” he said.
To stop possible retaliatory attacks between the two gangs, the source said, police were planning an operation to target underground businesses controlled by the triad, such as drug trafficking and vice and gambling activities.
Superintendent Alan Chung, of Kowloon West regional headquarters, said on Tuesday night that investigators believed the shooting was a triad-related dispute but would not rule out other motives.
In response to the latest violence, police carried out inspections of nightlife venues early on Wednesday to curb triad activities and their sources of income.
The gunshot victim, who said he was a businessman, was described as being in a stable condition in hospital after surgery.
Additional reporting by Danny Mok
