Triad leader jailed two years after being caught by undercover cops identifying himself at party
Yau Tsz-tang, 42, a dried seafood store manager, said he was the ‘dragonhead’ of notorious triad society Wo Shing Wo in a rallying speech to his men
A prominent triad leader was jailed two years by a court yesterday after undercover police heard him rallying for support in January last year to make his society the most powerful in Hong Kong.
Yau Tsz-tang, 42, was also heard saying five months later that he had the final say on whether to engage in a gang fight because he was the incumbent “dragonhead” – the highest person in charge – of “Shing Wo”. The name was short for active triad society Wo Shing Wo, according to a police expert.
The society is one of the most notorious triads in the city – alongside Sun Yee On and the 14K triads – involved in underground casinos, drug trafficking, pirated goods and vice in areas such as West Kowloon, Sheung Shui and Fanling.
District Court judge Sham Siu-man said Yau was a threat to society, with influence in his prominent position and a clear purpose to strengthen his organisation.
“Triad societies live on breaking the law. They are the public enemy of good citizens,” the judge said.
“The damage they can do to society must not be underestimated.”