Hong Kong police arrest 5 suspected triad members in crackdown on gang allegedly using youngsters for illegal debt collection
- Inspector Ng Man-fong says suspected triad-controlled gang advertised ‘easy money opportunities’ on social media to lure youngsters
- Four men and one woman arrested on suspicion of criminal damage, with shops and flats allegedly splashed with red paint as part of efforts to collect debt
Inspector Ng Man-fong of the Eastern district anti-triad squad said on Friday the group placed advertisements promising “easy-money opportunities” on social media platforms to recruit young or unemployed residents to splash red paint on debtors’ flats.
Ng said a shop in North Point was daubed with red paint four times in connection with disputes over money in six months, with multiple flats in various districts also targeted between January 26 and February 8.
She said the investigation suggested the triad-controlled gang was linked to the cases.
Officers from the anti-triad squad arrested four men and one woman in raids on Wednesday and Thursday.
Ng said the arrested had links to at least 14 criminal damage cases involving HK$2 million in debt collection.
A police source said all the suspects, aged between 20 and 48, had triad backgrounds.
The five were detained on suspicion of criminal damage – an offence punishable by up to 10 years in jail.
One of the suspects – a 20-year-old man – was also arrested over car theft, driving without a licence and driving without third-party insurance, according to the force.
During the arrest operation, officers seized bottles of red paint, multiple mobile phones and clothing worn by the suspects during the illegal debt collection activities.
Police did not rule out further arrests as investigations were under way.
The inspector said surveillance camera footage from near the crime scene was a key factor that helped officers identify the suspects.
Ng added CCTV could help prevent crimes, urging shop owners and the wider public to set up cameras at their properties.
Authorities set up 15 sets of surveillance cameras in Mong Kok in March as part of efforts to combat crime and ensure public safety. By the middle of the year, 600 sets of CCTV cameras will be placed in crime hotspots as part of a plan to install 2,000 by the end of 2024.
The Post learned the new Mong Kok cameras had helped police identify two visitors from mainland China who allegedly installed a card reader and false keypad with a wireless transmitter at a cash deposit machine at a bank in the district last month.
Police arrested one of the suspects on April 30 while the other man was placed on a wanted list.
