EmergencyNet NEWS Service
Sunday, July 21, 1996
Vol. 2 - 203
ERRI; EVALUATION OF CHINESE
TRIADS IN GREAT BRITAIN
By Steve Macko, ENN Editor
Anyone who is reader of mystery novels from the 1920s, 30s and 40s will certainly be impressed with the exotic
reputation of Chinese Triads -- Chinese criminal societies. When one thinks of the word, "Triad," images of blood
oaths, secret rituals and slow death by exotic means comes to mind. The history of the societies is anicient. Triads
were originally established as secret societies set up to overthrow an unpopular ruler. The first known secret society
was called the Red Eyebrows. They were set up to overthrow the Han dynasty in China that ruled from 206 BC to
AD 220.
The Hung League was the first known Triad Society. They date back to the 17th century. There is a legend that says
that the society was founded by five monks and their main purpose was to overthrow the Chi'ing dynasty and restore
the Ming back to the throne. In the 18th and 19th centuries, other secret societies were formed in China. Some of
them claimed to be a part of the Hung League. However, there appeared to be little or no organization among the
groups and their militancy seems to have been more concerned with robbing and terrorizing citizens than trying to
overthrow the government. The Hung League lost all claim to any legitimate purpose after the 1911 revolution.
Factions of the Hung League were heavily involved in organized crime at the start of this century.
During the first half of the 20th century, the Triads really took root in Hong Kong, a British colony. The Triads
flourished as criminal organizations. After a governmental crackdown in 1956, the groups became less structured and
they became little more than loose confederations of gangs. Today, in Hong Kong, they are little more than street
gangs that you would find in Los Angeles. They provide muscle for a variety of organized crime activity, especially
extortion. Surprisingly, efforts towards international drug trafficking tend to be carried out by gangs whose members
only come together for the sole purpose of smuggling drugs and they are not necessarily members of any triad.
Eventually some triad members immigrated to Great Britain. Triads have been called a "criminal cancer" in the UK
and are looked upon as a major criminal threat. The Organized Crime Unit of Britain's National Criminal Intelligence
Service has carried out an extensive assessment of the level of Chinese organized crime activity on the British Isles.
The assessment has been codenamed, Project Chopstick. The NCIS has determined that there four separate triad
societies currently operating in the UK. It appears that they are not controlled from Hong Kong and they are not part
of some large international criminal conspiracy. It also does not appear that there is much coordination of factions
from different cities.
The main criminal activity of the triads is extortion, loan sharking, credit card fraud and video piracy. There is also
some evidence of a little involvement in prostitution. Intelligence from the British NCIS indicates that the vast majority
of the extortion takes place in the Chinese community. The main victims are traditionally restaurants and other small
businesses. The number of reported cases is small, but again, traditionally, the Chinese have a tendency not to report
crime to the authorities. Low reported figures does not mean that no crime is happening. But it is very clear and
certain that the triads are involved in extortion. They use the name, "Triad," as a means of intimidating their victims.
In the United States, drive-by shootings are common among rival street gangs. Among the Chinese, there are violent
assaults but they take on a different form between rival triad groups. An assault called "choppings" is done with a
large knife. Most of the assaults seem to be over a "loss of face", which is extremely important in Chinese culture.
The NCIS says that the number of reported assaults in a given year are generally low.
Britain's NCIS says that Chinese organized crime activity is a cause of concern. The extortion schemes that are
operated by the triads creates a climate of fear within the Chinese community. However, in essence, the Chinese
triads do not pose any greater threat than other crime groups in Great Britian, such as West Indians(?) and Turks.
The NCIS says that their intelligence does not indicate that the Chinese triads in Britain are involved in drug
smuggling. This is contrary to Chinese organized crime groups in North America and Australia -- which are involved
in drug trafficking. Triad activity appears to be increasing and bears additional scrutiny by law enforcement officials,
ENN will follow this situation for you and provide addition details as they become available.
(c) EmergencyNet News Service, 1996, All Rights Reserved.