30 September 2008 |||
In Hong Kong, it is estimated that there are 50 triad societies with a total membership of at least 80,000. Of these societies, about fifteen are criminally active. What follows is a list of the largest triads operating in Hong Kong:
Sun Yee On: The largest triad in Hong Kong with an estimated 25,000 members. In addition to activities in Hong Kong, intelligence reports since 1994 seem to indicate that they dominate the government of Guangdong Province on the mainland.
Wo Group: There are around nine subgroups in this triad grouping with a total membership of around 20,000. Different subgroups have been known to 'specialize' in different activities, the Wo Shing Yee controls dockworkers, the Wo On Lok specializes in loan-sharking, the Wo Hop To runs protection rackets, and so on. The original Wo group triad was the Wo Shing Wo, and it is the longest established triad in Hong Kong.
14K Triad: Also with roughly 20,000 members, the 14K originated with the fight by the Guomintang against communism. Chiang Kai-Shek ordered that a league of all triad societies be established and used to fight communist forces using guerrilla tactics. The '14' in the name refers to the address of the original headquarters of this effort. There are over thirty subgroups to the 14K, and it remains one of the most powerful triads internationally.
Big Circle Gang: Former Red Army Guards and PLA soldiers form a sort of loose affiliation of gangs, though they are not technically a triad society. They enter Hong Kong illegally and are known for violent armed robberies of jewelry stores, banks, and gold dealers. Often they are equipped with military weaponry such as assault rifles and grenade launchers. The name may derive from re-education detention camps in China to which Red Guards have been sent or escaped from, and which are marked on maps by a large circle.
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