Hong Kong police smash triad gang tied to burglaries, drug trafficking in three-day operation that nets 15 arrests
- Police say the gang had a sophisticated method of scouting and robbing local shops, netting HK$1.8 million in cash and valuables since December
- The youngest member arrested was a 16-year-old girl who acted as a lookout
Hong Kong police have arrested 15 people, including the alleged ringleader, in breaking up a triad gang accused of committing 22 burglaries and thefts in the past nine months as well as involvement in drug trafficking and illegal gambling, the force said on Wednesday.
The gang usually operated in a group of three. One was responsible for breaking into shops, while the other ransacked the premises and the third acted as a lookout
He said a police investigation had linked the group to 15 burglaries and seven thefts from vehicles since last December, with the cases involving HK$1.8 million (US$232,000) in cash and valuables.
“The gang usually operated in a group of three. One was responsible for breaking into shops, while the other ransacked the premises and the third acted as a lookout,” senior inspector Leung Suet-wai said.
He said the gang scouted the shops before they were raided and were equipped with walkie-talkies to communicate during their operations.
After an in-depth investigation identified the group’s core figures, officers mounted an arrest operation across the city over the past three days.
