San He Hui,Sanhehui | |
 Triad members arrested in Siam | |
| Named after | Union of Heaven, Earth and Man, Chinese mythology, and traditional folk religion customs |
|---|---|
| Founding location | China (Hong Kong,Macau,ShenzhenGuangzhou) andTokyo |
| Territory | Mainland China,Hong Kong,Macau,Southeast Asia,Japan,South Korea,Taiwan,North America,Brazil,[1][2][3]Argentina,[4][5][6]Peru,Australia,New Zealand,Canada,United Kingdom,France,Italy,Netherlands,Belgium,Germany,Spain,Romania,[7]Bulgaria,Russia, andSouth Africa |
| Ethnicity | Han Chinese |
| Activities | Extortion,protection,murder,assault,racketeering,human trafficking,sex trafficking,illegal gambling,loan sharking,counterfeiting,copyright infringement,kidnapping,robbery,Chinese film andmusic industries, especiallyHong Kong film[8] andmusic industries,Taiwanese Film andmusic industries,drug trafficking,money laundering,arms trafficking,health care fraud andimmigration fraud |
Atriad (simplified Chinese:三合会;traditional Chinese:三合會;pinyin:sān hé huì;Cantonese Yale:sāam hahp wúi) is a Chinesetransnational organized crime syndicate based inGreater China with outposts in various countries having significantoverseas Chinese populations.
The triads originated from secret societies formed in the 18th and 19th centuries, some influenced bywhite lotus societies of the 14th century, with the intent of overthrowing the minority Manchu-rulingQing dynasty. In the 20th century, triads were enlisted by theKuomintang (KMT) during theRepublican era to attack political enemies, including assassinations. Following thefounding of the People's Republic of China and subsequent crackdowns, triads and their operations flourished inMacau,Hong Kong,Taiwan, and overseas Chinese communities.[9] Since thereform and opening up period, triads and other triad-like "black societies" re-emerged in mainland China.[9][10] In modern times, triads overseas have been reported to have connections to thegovernment of the People's Republic of China.[11][12][13][14]
| Sanhehui | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Traditional Chinese | 三合會 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 三合会 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Literal meaning | Three Harmonies Society | ||||||||||||||||||||
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According to theOxford English Dictionary, "triad" is a translation of the Chinese termSan He Hui (三合會), referring to the union of heaven, earth, and humanity.[15] Another theory posits that the word "triad" was coined by British officials incolonial Hong Kong as a reference to the triads' use of triangular imagery.[16] This theory however is highly improbable as the term "Triad" had been used byWilliam Milne to describe secret societies in Southern China as early as 1826, well before the colony was even formed.[17] It has been speculated that triad organizations took after, or were originally part of, militant movements such as theWhite Lotus,[18] theTaiping andBoxer Rebellions, and theHeaven and Earth Society.
The generic use of the word "triads" for allChinese criminal organizations is imprecise; triad groups are geographically, ethnically, culturally, and structurally unique. "Triads" are traditional organized-crime groups originating from Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan.[19] Criminal organizations operating in, or originating from, mainland China are "mainland Chinese criminal groups" or "black societies".[20]
The Triad, a China-based criminal organization, secret association, or club, was a branch of the secretHung Society, a secret society formed with the intent of overthrowing the then-rulingQing dynasty. Triads therefore first began as part of an organized patriotic movement to overthrow ethnicManchu Qing rule, which was considered tyrannical and foreign to theHan ethnic majority. At the turn of the 19th century, Chinese triads were involved in revolutionary and underground activities designed to subvert the ailing Qing, which was considered corrupt and incapable of reform.[21]
Secret societies in the Qing Dynasty era were synonymous with patriotism, with groups operating under the banner of: "Oppose the Qing and Restore theMing dynasty" (反清复明;Fǎn Qīng Fù Míng). Triads were also enlisted by theKuomintang (KMT) during theRepublican era in order to assassinate political opponents and attack political enemies.[21] Notable organizations included theGreen Gang, another Hung Society splinter which participated in theShanghai massacre ofChinese Communist Party (CCP) members in 1927.[21]
After theproclamation of the People's Republic of China in 1949, secret societies in mainland China were suppressed in campaigns ordered byMao Zedong.Deng Xiaoping also suppressed the secret societies in his"Strike Hard" campaigns against organized crime in 1978. As a result, most traditional Chinese secret societies, including the triads and some of the remaining Green Gang, relocated to Hong Kong,Taiwan,Southeast Asia, and overseas countries (particularly theUnited States), where they competed with theTong and other ethnic Chinese criminal organizations. Gradually, Chinese secret societies turned to theillegal drug trade andextortion for income.[9] In mainland China, there are of two major types of "mainland Chinese criminal organizations": loosely-organized "dark forces" (黑恶势力;Hēi è shìlì) and more mature "black societies" (黑社会;Hēishèhuì). Two features which distinguish a black society from ordinary "dark forces" or low-level criminal gangs are the extent to which the organization is able to control local markets and the degree of police protection it is able to obtain.[22]
TheTiandihui, the Heaven and Earth Society, also called Hongmen (the Vast Family), is a Chinesefraternal organization and historically asecretivefolk religious sect in the vein of theMing loyalistWhite Lotus Sect, the Tiandihui's ancestral organization.[23] As the Tiandihui spread through different counties and provinces, it branched off into many groups and became known by many names, including theSanhehui. The Hongmen grouping is today more or less synonymous with the wholeTiandihui concept, although the title "Hongmen" is also claimed by some criminal groups. Branches of the Hongmen were also formed byChinese communities overseas, some of which became known as Chinese Freemasons. Its current iteration is purelysecular.
Such societies were seen as legitimate ways of helping immigrants from China settle into their new place of residence through employment and development of local connections. Triads had been banned by the Colonial government in Hong Kong in 1845, and it is also argued that triads had monopolized the labor market from 1857.[24] Secret societies were banned by the British colonial government in Singapore during the 1890s and were slowly reduced in number by successive colonial governors and leaders. Rackets which facilitated the economic power of Singapore triads, the opium trade, and prostitution were also banned. Immigrants were encouraged to seek help from a localkongsi instead of turning to secret societies, which contributed to the societies' decline.[25][26] During theTaiping Rebellion, many voluntarily or were forced to aid theTaiping Heavenly Kingdom in opposition to the Qing dynasty. At the end of the 19th century, at least one-third of Hong Kong Chinese were estimated to be part of the triads.[24]
Chu Yiu-kong argues that modern triad societies were not originally formed in Hong Kong but instead had their origins in mainland China due to an influx of Chinese refugees. They eventually made use of the triad network to help in opium trafficking as well as non-illicit trade such as labor issues and participation in the republican movement. The triad society worked as a mutual assistance group that assisted in migratory labor.[27]
According to the University of Hong Kong, most triad societies were established between 1914 and 1939 and there were once more than 300 in the territory. Arguably the most prominent triad leader of the 1930s beingDu Yuesheng. AfterWorld War II, the secret societies saw a resurgence as gangsters took advantage of the uncertainty to re-establish themselves. Some Chinese communities, such as "new villages" inKuala Lumpur andBukit Ho Swee in Singapore, became notorious for gang violence. After 1949, in mainland China, law enforcement became stricter and a government crackdown on criminal organizations forced the triads to migrate to British Hong Kong. An estimated 300,000 triad members lived in Hong Kong during the 1950s.[citation needed] The number of groups has consolidated to about 50, of which 14 are under police surveillance. There were four main groups of triads—theChiu Chow Group (includingSun Yee On),14K, theWo Group (includingWo Shing Wo), and theSze Tai (Luen Group,Tan Yee,Macau Chai,Tung Group), the Big Four in Chinese—operating in Hong Kong.[24] They divided land by ethnic group and geographic locations, with each triad in charge of a region. Each had their own headquarters, sub-societies, and public image.
During the 1960s and 1970s, several notable triad leaders were active suchNg Sik-ho andMa Sik-chun in Hong Kong andStephen Tse in Boston. In the early 1980s, theChinese Communist Party Deputy Committee Secretary ofXinhua News Agency, Wong Man-fong, negotiated with Hong Kong-based triads on behalf of the government of People's Republic of China to ensure their peace after the handover of Hong Kong.[11][28] While triad activity increased in mainland China in the 1980s as a result ofeconomic and political changes, increased corruption,rapid urbanization, and increased demands for illicit goods and services.[29]: 100 The 1980s and 1990s saw the downfall of several prominent triad leaders, with arms smugglerCheung Tze-keung, triad leaderWan Kuok-koi andPeter Chong (convicted of racketeering and extortion) all ending up behind bars, while entertainment industry figures such as Taiwanese directorJimmy Wang Yu and Hong Kong film producerCharles Heung were suspected of having ties to organized crime.
In the 2000s, reporters noted that the Sun Yee On appeared to send teams from China toSão Paulo as enforcers, where they carry out intimidation, assault, and sometimes murder, to anyone who fails to pay protection money. While in Japan, a senior official in 2003 at the National Police Agency in Tokyo mentioned clashes between theyakuza and Chinese gangs were increasing.[30]
On 18 January 2018, Italian police arrested 33 people connected to a Chinese triad operating in Europe as part of its Operation China Truck (which began in 2011). The triad were active inTuscany,Veneto,Rome, andMilan in Italy, and in France, Spain, and the German city ofNeuss. The indictment accused the Chinese triad of extortion, usury, illegal gambling, prostitution, and drug trafficking. The group was said to have infiltrated the transport sector, using intimidation and violence against Chinese companies wishing to transport goods by road into Europe.[31] Police seized several vehicles, businesses, properties, and bank accounts.[32]
According to the expert in terrorist organizations and mafia-type organized crime, Antonio De Bonis, there is a close relationship between the Triads and theCamorra, and the port ofNaples is the most important landing point of the trades managed by the Chinese in cooperation with the Camorra. Among the illegal activities in which the two criminal organizations work together are human trafficking and illegal immigration aimed at the sexual and labor exploitation of Chinese immigrants into Italy, as well as synthetic drug trafficking and the laundering of illicit money through the purchase of real estate.[33] In 2017, investigators discovered an illicit industrial waste transportation scheme jointly run by the Camorra and Triads. The waste was transported from Italy to China, leaving fromPrato in Italy and arriving inHong Kong- a scheme which, prior to its discovery, had been netting millions of dollars' worth of revenue for both organizations.[34]
In April 2025, Zhang Dayong, known as Asheng, was executed in Rome with a gunshot to the head and three to the chest. He was the right-hand man of Zhang Naizhong, the alleged head of the Chinese mafia in Europe, and served as his representative in Rome. Zhang Dayong had a history of violent offenses and was considered a key player in the organization's illegal activities in Italy, including loan sharking and running underground gambling operations. Although he officially ran a store in Rome'sEsquilino neighbourhood, Asheng was in charge of the Chinese mafia's operations in the Italian capital. Investigators link him to past violence, including the enforcement of payments through beatings. He was also present at the lavish 2013 wedding of Zhang Naizhong's son, attended by major figures in the Chinese criminal underworld. Asheng reportedly lost favor within the organization after several missteps, including getting drunk and assaulting women at a brothel managed by a fellow gang member. Intercepted conversations reveal how his disrespect toward superiors and erratic behavior eventually sealed his fate. His murder is believed to be connected to the ongoing turf war among Chinese gangs, known as the “hanger war” ofPrato, which has now spread to Rome. His death marks a significant escalation in the mafia conflict.[35] In August 2025, Italian authorities arrested 13 individuals with connections to Chinese organized crime.[36]
Triads engage in a variety of crimes such asfraud,extortion, andmoney laundering, drug trafficking andprostitution, illegal gambling,smuggling, andcounterfeit consumer goods such as music, video, software, clothes, watches, and money.[16][37]
Since the firstopium bans during the 19th century, Chinese criminal gangs have been involved in worldwideillegal drug trade. Many triads switched from opium to heroin, produced from opium plants in theGolden Triangle, refined into heroin in China, and trafficked to North America and Europe, in the 1960s and 1970s. The most important triads active in the international heroin trade are the14K and theBig Circle Gang. Triads smuggle chemicals from Chinese factories to North America (for the production offentanyl andmethamphetamine), and to Europe for the production ofMDMA.[14][38][39] They are increasingly involved in unlicensedcannabis cultivation in the US.[40][41] Triads in the United States also traffic large quantities ofketamine.[41] Triad figures are also responsible for large-scale drug trafficking into Australia.[42][43]
Triads have become the principalmoney launderers for drug cartels in Mexico, Italy, and elsewhere.[13][44][45][46][47] They are reported to be money movers for the CCP elite.[41] According to theUnited States House Select Committee on Strategic Competition between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party, theopioid epidemic in the United States has assisted the triads in becoming "the world's premier money launderers."[48][49] In the 21st century, Chinese organized crime groups have become major money launderers forcryptocurrency stolen by North Korean hackers.[50]
Triads have been engaging in counterfeiting since the 1880s. During the 1960s and 1970s, they were involved incounterfeiting currency, often theHong Kong 50-cent piece. The gangs were also involved in counterfeiting expensive books for sale on the black market. With the advent of new technology and the improvement of the average standard of living, triads produce counterfeit goods such as watches, film VCDs and DVDs, and designer apparel such as clothing and handbags.[51] Since the 1970s, triad turf control was weakened and some shifted their revenue streams to legitimate businesses.[52]
Triads have been active in various cryptocurrency scams.[62]
Due to their history of "patriotic" work in support of various political movements and factions, triads have long been reported to have connections to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), often via its relatedunited front groups.[12][63][64][14] According toThe Washington Post, the Chinese government has engaged in the "selective use or tolerance of criminal groups for geopolitical purposes. Mixing illicit activity and patriotism has become a hallmark of some Chinese organizations with overseas interests."[65] Triad members have acted as agents of the party-state in achieving its political objectives of suppressing dissent, quelling protests and silencing, intimidating, and coercing critics both at home and abroad, particularly in Hong Kong, Taiwan, and countries with high concentrations of ethnic Chinese diaspora.[11][66][67] Organized crime groups have provided the CCP with plausible deniability forpolitical warfare efforts and influence within the certain grassroots communities.[68] According to Martin Purbrick, the CCP "recognised the benefit of triads as part of their United Front activities to neutralise opposition."[69] This was demonstrated through the involvement of triads in the2019 Yuen Long attack againstpro-democracy protestors in Hong Kong in 2019.[70]Hong Kong police were subsequently accused of collusion with triad criminal syndicates due to the notable absence of officers at the time of the scene despite heavy police presence at protest events in weeks prior.[71] The activities of triads are enabled by both local government corruption and law enforcement authorities who turn a blind eye to criminal behavior when influenced by the seniority of corrupt officials out of political convenience.[21] In mainland China, triad groups have worked with local CCP officials.[72] In Taiwan, triad figureChang An-lo founded theChinese Unification Promotion Party, a pro-CCP political party.[65]
A 2022Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) identified connections between key triad figures linked toWan Kuok-koi and CCP united front politicalinfluence operations inPalau.[73] In 2023, aProPublica investigation found that the leadership of certainChinese police overseas service stations have ties to organized crime.[12]
In 2024, the OCCRP andThe Age reported on connections between triad figures and the CCP's united front operations in the Pacific, particularly inFiji.[42][43]
Triads use numeric codes to distinguish ranks and positions within the gang; the numbers are inspired by Chinese numerology and are based on theI Ching.[74] The Mountain (or Dragon Master Head) is 489, 438 is the Deputy Mountain Master, 432 indicates Straw Sandal rank;[citation needed] the Mountain Master's proxy, Incense Master (who oversees inductions into the triad), and Vanguard are 438 or 2238 (who assists the Incense Master). Law enforcement and intel have it that the Vanguard may actually hold the highest power or final word. A military commander (also known as a Red Pole), overseeing defensive and offensive operations, is 426; 49 denotes a soldier, or rank-and-file member. The White Paper Fan (415) provides financial and business advice, and the Straw Sandal (432) is a liaison between units.[75][76] An undercover law-enforcement agent or spy from another triad is 25, also popular Hong Kong slang for an informant. Blue Lanterns are uninitiated members, equivalent to Mafia associates, and do not have a designating number. According to De Leon Petta Gomes da Costa, who interviewed triads and authorities in Hong Kong, most of the current structure is a vague, low hierarchy. The traditional ranks and positions no longer exist.[77]
Similar to theSicilian Mafia, the Japaneseyakuza, or the Indianthuggees, triad members participate in initiation ceremonies.[16] A typical ceremony takes place at an altar dedicated toGuan Yu, with incense and ananimal sacrifice, usually a chicken, pig, or goat. After drinking a mixture of wine and blood (from the animal or the candidate), the member passes beneath an arch of swords while reciting the triad's oaths. The paper on which the oaths are written will be burnt on the altar to confirm the member's obligation to perform his duties to the gods. Three fingers of the left hand are raised as a binding gesture.[78] The triad initiate is required to adhere to 36 oaths.[79]
The most powerful triads based in Hong Kong are:
Many triads emigrated to Taiwan and Chinese communities worldwide:
Similar to triads, Tongs originated independently in early immigrantChinatown communities. The word means "social club", and tongs are not specifically underground organizations. The first tongs formed during the second half of the 19th century among marginalized members of early immigrant Chinese-American communities for mutual support and protection fromnativists. Modeled on triads, they were established without clear political motives and became involved in criminal activities such as extortion, illegal gambling, drug and human trafficking, murder, and prostitution.[81][82]
Triads are also active in Chinese communities throughout Southeast Asia.[9] When Malaysia and Singapore (with the region's largest population of ethnic Chinese) becamecrown colonies, secret societies and triads controlled local communities by extortingprotection money andillegal money lending. Many conducted blood rituals, such as drinking one another's blood, as a sign of brotherhood; others ran opium dens and brothels.
Remnants of these former gangs and societies still exist. Due to government efforts in Malaysia and Singapore to reduce crime, the societies have largely faded from the public eye (particularly in Malaysia).[citation needed]
Triads were also common in Vietnamese cities with large Chinese (especiallyCantonese andTeochew) communities.[citation needed] During theFrench colonial period, many businesses and wealthy residents inSaigon (particularly in theChinatown district) andHaiphong were controlled by protection-racket gangs.[citation needed]
With Vietnamese independence in 1945, organized crime activity was drastically reduced asHo Chi Minh's government purged criminal activity in the country. According to Ho, abolishing crime was a method of protecting Vietnam and its people.[83] During theFirst Indochina War, Ho's police forces concentrated on protecting people in his zone from crime; the French cooperated with criminal organizations to fight theViet Minh.[84] In 1955, PresidentNgô Đình Diệm ordered theSouth Vietnamese military to disarm and imprison organized-crime groups in the Saigon-Gia Định-Biên Hòa-Vũng Tàu region and cities such asMỹ Tho andCần Thơ in theMekong Delta. Diem banned brothels, massage parlours, casinos and gambling houses, opium dens, bars, drug houses, and nightclubs, all establishments frequented by the triads. However, Diệm allowed criminal activity to finance his attempts to eliminate the Viet Minh in the south.[85] Law enforcement was stricter in the north, with stringent control and monitoring of criminal activities. The government of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam purged and imprisoned organized criminals, including triads, in theHaiphong andHanoi areas. With pressure from Ho Chi Minh's police, Triad affiliates had to choose between elimination or legality. During theVietnam War, the triads were eliminated in the north; in the south, Republic of Vietnam corruption protected their illegal activities and allowed them to control US aid. During the 1970s and 1980s, all illegal Sino-Vietnamese activities were eliminated by the Vietnamese police. Most triads were compelled to flee to Taiwan, Hong Kong, or other countries in Southeast Asia.[86]
Triads are also active in other regions with significant overseas-Chinese populations: Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, South Korea, Japan, the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Spain, Brazil, Peru, Argentina, Romania, Bulgaria, Russia, and South Africa. They are often involved in migrant smuggling. Shanty and Mishra (2007) estimate that the annual profit from narcotics is $200 billion, and annual revenues from human trafficking into Europe and the United States are believed to amount to $3.5 billion.[87]
In Australia, the major importer of illicit drugs in recent decades has been 'The Company', according to police sources in the region. This is a conglomerate run by triad bosses which focuses particularly on methamphetamine and cocaine. It has laundered money through junkets for high-stakes gamblers who visitCrown Casinos in Australia and Macau.[80]
In South Africa, Law Enforcement Authorities have claimed that several large independent subgroups of the Triad conduct large scale human trafficking, drug trafficking, money laundering, as well as operate prostitution and gambling rings.[88] South African authorities have identified four major Chinese gangs connected to the Triad operating in South Africa: the Wo Shing Wo group, the San Yee On group, the 14K-Hau group, and the 14K-Ngai group.[89] On November 22, 2022, a shoot-out between rival Triad factions took place on a crowded street in Cape Town, leaving several bystanders injured.[90]
Hong Kong police actions regularly target organised crime, including raids on triad-controlled entertainment establishments and undercover work.[52] The journalForeign Policy reported in its August 2019 edition, alleged triad involvement in repressing theHong Kong protests.[91]
At the national (and, in some cases, provincial) level, theRoyal Canadian Mounted Police's Organized Crime Branch is responsible for investigating gang-related activities (including triads). TheCanada Border Services Agency Organized Crime Unit works with the RCMP to detain and remove non-Canadian triad members. Asian gangs are found in many cities, primarily Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, and Edmonton.
The Guns and Gangs Unit of theToronto Police Service is responsible for handling triads in the city. The Asian Gang Unit of the Metro Toronto Police was formerly responsible for dealing with triad-related matters, but a larger unit was created to deal with the broad array of ethnic gangs.[citation needed]
The Organized Crime and Law Enforcement Act provides a tool for police forces in Canada to handle organized criminal activity. The act enhances the general role of theCriminal Code (with amendments to deal with organized crime) in dealing with criminal triad activities. Asian organized-crime groups were ranked the fourth-greatest organized-crime problem in Canada[citation needed], behind outlaw motorcycle clubs, aboriginal crime groups, and Indo-Canadian crime groups.
In 2011, it was estimated that criminal gangs associated with triads controlled 90 percent of the heroin trade inVancouver.[92] Due to its geographic and demographic characteristics, Vancouver is the point of entry into North America for much of the heroin produced in Southeast Asia (much of the trade controlled by international organized-crime groups associated with triads).[63] From 2006 to 2014, Southeast, East and South Asians accounted for 21 percent of gang deaths in British Columbia (trailing only Caucasians, who made up 46.3 percent of gang deaths).[93][94]
In June 2022, commissioner of theAustralian Federal Police,Reece Kershaw, stated at theFive Eyes Law Enforcement Group that foreign governments were collaborating with criminal syndicates in the West and that: "state actors and citizens from some nations are using our countries at the expense of our sovereignty and economies".[95]
In August 2022, reporting by theAustralian Broadcasting Corporation revealed that Hong Kong-based jewelry and real estate development conglomerateChow Tai Fook was endorsed by theQueensland state government as a 25% shareholder inThe Star casino'sQueen's wharf development.[citation needed]
The Chow Fook Tai conglomerate is owned byCheng Yu-tung, who was believed to have affiliations with the 14K triad and was alleged to have connections with Hong Kong andMacau organised crime syndicates, specifically through business connections withWan Kuok Kui, "Broken Tooth", or "Broken Tooth Koi" in triad circles.[96][73]
The 14K,Sun Yee On triads were believed to have been closely affiliated with Cheng and used as enforcers for the collection of gambling debts, in addition to being engaged in prostitution, human, and drug trafficking. Kui has been the subject of sanctions by theUnited States Department of Treasury under theMagnitsky Act for corruption, embezzlement, and "misappropriation of state assets" as of 2020.[97]
Primary laws addressing triads are the Societies Ordinance and the Organized and Serious Crimes Ordinance. The former, enacted in 1949 to outlaw triads in Hong Kong, stipulates that any person convicted of being (or claiming to be) an officeholder or managing (or assisting in the management) of a triad can be fined up to HK$1 million and imprisoned for up to 15 years.[52]
The power of triads has also diminished due to the 1974 establishment of theIndependent Commission Against Corruption. The commission targeted corruption in police departments linked with triads.[52] Being a member of a triad is an offence punishable by fines ranging from HK$100,000 to HK$250,000 and three to seven years imprisonment under an ordinance enacted in Hong Kong in 1994,[52] which aims to provide police with special investigative powers, provide heavier penalties for organized-crime activities, and authorize the courts to confiscate the proceeds of such crimes.
British authorities in colonial Hong Kong dubbed the groups triads because of the triangular imagery.
In exchange for government protection, Chinese mobsters deliver services such as illegally moving money overseas for the Communist Party elite and helping to spy on and intimidate Chinese immigrant communities.
Mobsters overtly support pro-Beijing causes and covertly provide services overseas: engaging in political influence work, moving illicit funds offshore for the Chinese elite and helping persecute dissidents, according to Western officials, court cases and human rights groups. Chinese officials reciprocate by tolerating and sometimes supporting their illicit activities, according to those sources.
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