Strengthening co-operation
in fight against triads

2 Photos

All law enforcement agencies should strengthen co-operation, particularly in the exchange of skills, knowledge as well as intelligence in order to fight a winning war against triads and organised crime groups, Assistant Commissioner Crime Peter Yam Tat-wing said last week.

In his closing address at the Seventh Triad Course for Overseas Law Enforcement Officers organised by the Force, Mr Yam said Hong Kong was committed to the promotion of international co-operation in the fight against transnational crime, including triad activities.

"It is on this basis that we continue to provide this course to our overseas colleagues as an aid to identifying the root cause of part of the global problem of organised crime,"he said.

The two-week course which ended on March 22 was specifically designed for overseas officers with no in-depth knowledge or experience of crime investigation involving ethnic Chinese and triads, and the main theme of the course was entitled "Triad Involvement in Organised Crime".

It was attended by 17 officers from Australia, Austria, Canada, Germany, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, the UK and the United States. Macau was also represented.

During the course, the visitors also participated in the various panel sessions of the four-day Transnational Organized Crime Conference held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, which were attended by nearly 500 representatives from 33 countries and regions.

Mr Yam stressed that the international social and political situation in which criminals functioned, as well as the resources and opportunities available to them, were the defining characteristics of modern day organised crime groups.

"This means that international co-operation between law enforcement agencies around the world and partnerships forged out of courses with attendees from different countries, such as the one you have just completed, are taking on a more and more important role,"he added.

So how big is the triad problem in other countries with large ethnic Chinese populations? OffBeat spoke with three officers who said that in general triads were active in their countries but not to the extent that required protracted effort and deployment of additional police resources.

Detective Constable Andrew Tofts who is attached to the Southeast Asian intelligence unit of the Metropolitan Police Service in the UK said that because of Hong Kong's previous link with the UK, triad gangs similar to those in Hong Kong could be found in many large cities, including London, Liverpool and Manchester.

"This course to me is invaluable as my work in the national strategic level of my organisation involves intelligence gathering and where necessary it is our duty to advise colleagues on measures to take when confronted with such problems,"he said.

"The course on triads provided many of the answers that were not readily available to us...it has filled the missing gaps,"Mr Tofts added.

The UK officer disclosed that negotiations were underway for future co-operation and experience sharing of undercover officers of the two places.

Assistant Superintendent Deculan Goh of Singapore's Criminal Investigation Department said the course provided a very useful platform for the exchange of ideas on crime trends involving gangs.

"Although we cannot copy wholesale your methods or tactics because of cultural differences, the course was nevertheless helpful in keeping abreast with information on the development of triads in different countries,"Mr Goh said.

Special Agent Dennis Lao from the Los Angeles Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation said he found the course very educational as it had given him a deep understanding of triads and their roots.

"We do have a criminal gang known as 'Wah Ching' which is involved in vice and extortion. Although Wah Chings are not affiliated to 14K or Sun Yee On here, we do believe that they have common interests,"Mr Lao said.

Detective Constable Andrew Tofts