The officers attended a Triad Course for Overseas Law Enforcement Officers run by CIB between July 18 and 26. They also took time out to observe how the Kowloon West Anti-triad Unit conducted nighttime checks in Kowloon West and tour the Police Training School and Police Museum.

In welcoming the course members, Acting Assistant Commissioner (Crime) Wong Pak-nin reminded them that organised criminal activities knew no boundaries, and that globalisation and technical advancement enabled the triads and transnational criminal fraternities to engage in almost every illegal activity, be it drugs trafficking, human smuggling, illegal gambling or money laundering.

"Our main weapon as law enforcement agencies is to work together and share intelligence against these syndicates in order to gain the upper hand!" Mr Wong noted.

Speaking at the conclusion of the course, the new Assistant Commissioner (Crime) Lee Ka-chiu pointed out that it was essential for law enforcement agencies to join hands to combat the triads. He hoped that the course would achieve the aims of not only conveying knowledge and experience, but also providing an opportunity for discussion and development of strategies, sharing experiences and best practices and forging closer ties among course members' agencies.

Course Instructor David Wan of CIB explained that the course was not intended to train the course members to be triad experts. Rather it was designed to dispel the mystique and myth that are often associated with triad societies and provide an overview of the historical and current workings and criminal activities of triad societies in Hong Kong and abroad. In addition, the course provided a platform for liaison and co-operation in the field of triad policing.

As well as an introduction to the Force, the course covered the history, organisation and development of triad societies, from their early origin as the "Hung Mun" to the modern day triad society.

In addition to core lectures given by CIB officers, officers from Kowloon West, OCTB and NB FI also gave lectures on enforcement strategies, anti-triad operations and money laundering. A guest speaker from the University of Hong Kong, Dr Chu Yiu-kong, also talked about the organised crime on the Mainland.

Chief Inspector Frank Francis of the UK National Crime Squad commented that the course had provided an "extremely valuable insight" into the workings of triad groups and other South East-Asian criminal fraternities, and an excellent opportunity for course members to learn from the Force and each other. He is convinced that the networking established during the course would form the basis for closer co-operation and intelligence-exchange among course members in the future.

Detective Senior Inspector David Wan giving a classroom lecture