The Organized Crime and Triad Bureau of the Police, together with various regions, carried out an anti-triad operation code-named "Li Ting Sweeping Caves" yesterday (23rd) and raided a number of illegal venues controlled by triads, including Large-scale chain baccarat gambling stalls, fishing machine casinos, prostitution establishments and private cigarette warehouses operated by renting hotel venues, and illegal collection and criminal damage groups were smashed, and 234 people were arrested, the youngest of whom was only 12 years old.
Among them, 75 people have been charged with different charges, and the rest of the arrested people are being detained or have been released on bail pending further investigation.
The police operation is still continuing, and more arrests cannot be ruled out.
Police yesterday (23rd) carried out an anti-triad operation code-named "Li Ting Sweeping Holes", arrested 234 people, and seized gambling paraphernalia, gambling money, red oil tools used for illegal collection of money, and illicit cigarettes.
(Photo by Chen Haoran)
Among them, in the Hong Kong Island Region and its various police districts, nearly 190 officers were mobilized yesterday to search about 20 premises, including places controlled by gangsters, and 11 men and 3 women (aged 12 to 32) were arrested on suspicion of drug possession, drug trafficking, and criminal activities. Destroying, violating the conditions of stay, etc., 1.5 kilograms of marijuana, a small amount of crack cocaine, and tools for illegal debt collection were seized during the operation, including mobile phones, criminal clothing, and oil spraying tools.
In connection with an illegal debt collection case, the police seized the clothes and oil spray tools worn by the suspect when committing the crime.
(Photo by Chen Haoran)
Chief Inspector He Enjie of the Anti-Triad Action Team of Hong Kong Island Region said that in one of the cases of illegal debt collection, the police investigation found that a debt collection gang with a gang background recruited minors through online games and illegally paid debtors. Collect and pour red oil.
The gang has a careful division of labor. Some are responsible for inducing minors to participate in illegal debt collection with a reward of about 500 to 800 yuan; some are responsible for logistics, including providing crime clothing, red oil and oil cups; and some are responsible for monitoring the crime scene and filming, to ensure that the recruiter does the work assigned.
The police arrested 9 men and 1 woman for this gang. Among them, 5 were minors, the youngest was only 12 years old. They involved a total of about 19 cases of debt collection and destruction in multiple districts in Hong Kong and Kowloon. They are under investigation and some of them will be prosecuted later .
Chief Inspector of the Anti-Triad Action Team of Hong Kong Island Region He Enjie (Photo by Chen Haoran)
As for the New Territories North Region, the police arrested 23 men and 12 women (aged 22 to 79), among whom 3 non-Chinese men held "street permits" and were involved in possession of duty-unpaid cigarettes, obstruction of office work, and gambling. place etc.
Acting Chief Inspector Chen Yangquan of the Anti-Triad Operations Group of the New Territories North Region said that the police successfully smashed a large illicit cigarette storage warehouse in Cheung Kam Wai Village, Tin Shui Wai during the operation, and arrested a 44-year-old man who claimed to be a warehouse worker. A local man surnamed Shi seized 1.65 million sticks of illicit cigarettes in the warehouse and in a private car accompanied by Shi Nan, with a market value of 5.94 million yuan and a taxable value of about 4.13 million yuan.
According to the packaging of the illicit cigarettes and the police investigation, it is believed that the illicit cigarettes involved in the case were manufactured in mainland China, Macau, Japan and other countries, and there were no warning words such as "Smoking is harmful to health" in Hong Kong on the packaging. The police have handed over the case to Customs for follow-up.
Officers from the New Territories South Region arrested 9 men and 6 women (aged 16 to 69), involved in gambling and drug-related crimes, and seized gambling tools such as mahjong and poker, as well as some drugs.
Chief Inspector Yu Bohan of the Anti-Triad Action Group of the New Territories South Region said that 10 of the arrested persons were arrested in an industrial building unit in Kwai Chung. The unit area is about 500 square feet. .
Among the arrested persons were a casino manager and nine gamblers, aged between 24 and 68. Some of them have been prosecuted, and the rest have been released on bail pending investigation.
Officers from the East Kowloon Region raided 6 units during yesterday’s operation and arrested 19 men and 11 women (aged 15 to 70) on suspicion of drug trafficking, possession of prohibited weapons, money lending at exorbitantly high interest rates, money lending without a license, criminal intimidation, criminal Vandalism, money laundering, operation of gambling establishments and gambling in gambling establishments.
Chief Inspector He Qihao of the Criminal Division of East Kowloon Region said that some of the arrested persons had a triad background.
The 3 arrested mainlanders held two-way permits, all of whom were arrested for the crime of "gambling in a gambling establishment" in an illegal casino in Kwun Tong District; the remaining 27 were Hong Kong permanent residents, and the youngest of them was 15 years old. People involved in illegal debt collection and usury cases.
During the operation, the police seized a small amount of thunderbolt cocaine, 4 electric mahjong tables, 8 pairs of mahjong, cash gambling money and a telescopic stick.
Also in Kowloon, the police smashed a gambling syndicate active in Yau Ma Tei.
Chen Junhua, Acting Operations Director of Yau Tsim Police District, said that the police received a report that criminals rented a 2,000-square-foot activity room in a hotel in Yau Ma District to operate a gambling place. Intelligence analysis and investigation showed that the casino was rented in the name of a tea company. , claiming to entertain guests for tea to cover up the operation of an illegal baccarat casino.
A local couple with a triad background is the head of the group. The two also run a baccarat casino with the same area of about 2,000 square feet in another private residential unit in the area. Both casinos provide meals and private car transfers.
The police arrested a total of 32 men and 47 women (aged 18 to 76) in two casinos, including two masterminds, who are being detained for investigation; and seized a total of more than 1.8 million yuan in gambling money and 1.8 million yuan in chips, also in the residence of the mastermind Gawan uncovered more than one million dollars in criminal proceeds, as well as books recording proceeds from illegal gambling.
Chen Junhua said that the two casinos have been in operation since about December last year. The operators first arranged for regular customers and friends to gamble, and then they introduced others to patronize.
Among them, hotel casino guests are more middle-aged and richer; people in private residential casinos are "never so old and rich".
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Organized Crime and Triad Investigation Bureau Superintendent Lu Sihao pointed out that many cases have shown that the sources of income of gangsters are mainly concentrated in "pornography, gambling, and drugs". The crime methods include illegal collection of money, criminal damage, and criminal intimidation.
He emphasized that the police have always adopted a zero-tolerance attitude towards triad organizations and violence-related crimes, and will continue to combat triad-related crimes in an all-round way through inspections, raids and financial investigations.
Organized Crime and Triad Bureau Superintendent Lui Sihao (photo by Chan Ho-yin)
"O Ji" Hong Kong's anti-criminal campaign broke through 18 gambling stalls, pornographic dens and private cigarette warehouses, 234 people were arrested age