Hong Kong police arrest 142 people in crackdown on triad-run businesses

“Police arrested 72 men and 70 women, aged from 15 to 61, in connection with vice, gambling and drug-related offences,” he said.

They comprised 111 locals, 17 mainland Chinese travellers, eight foreign passport holders and six others with a recognisance form, a temporary identification document issued by the Immigration Department that permits bearers to remain in the city but forbids them from working.

Police said some of the suspects were believed to have triad backgrounds.

The suspects were detained on suspicion of various offences, including trafficking in a dangerous drug, claiming to be a member of a triad society, operating a gambling establishment, managing a drug den, running a brothel and wounding.

Hong Kong police arrest man, 18, and seize HK$10.7 million in heroin

The force seized 2.8kg (6.2lbs) of narcotics with an estimated street value of HK$700,000 (US$90,000) along with cash and gambling paraphernalia, weapons and liquor during the operation, code-named “Rousewit”, with the help of about 500 officers.

In one of the raids, police shut down a triad-run gambling den that operated in a warehouse offering pak kau games, or Chinese dominoes.

The senior inspector said in response to the force’s stringent enforcement, the triad gang behind the gambling den had enhanced security measures and served only regular clients to avoid detection.

“The venue was equipped with surveillance cameras in public corridors and outside the premises, as well as two steel gates with multiple locks at its entrance in an effort to increase difficulty of police entry during law enforcement,” Lo said.

Officers from the Hong Kong Island anti-triad squad raided the premises on Tuesday, arrested 15 people and seized HK$90,000 on gambling tables. One of the 15 suspects was the syndicate’s alleged ringleader, according to the force.

Lo said that during the 11-day operation, police had dealt a heavy blow to various triad gangs operating on Hong Kong Island.

“Police have adopted a zero-tolerance attitude towards triad gangs and violence-related crimes. We will continue to gather intelligence, conduct proactive patrols, and carry out surprise raids to combat these crimes from all angles,” he said.

Last year, police handled 2,334 reports of triad-related crimes across the city, an 8.6 per cent drop from 2,554 cases logged in 2022.