For other uses, see Triad. Triad (simplified Chinese: 三合会; traditional Chinese: 三合會; pinyin: Sānhéhuì; literally "Triad Society") is a term used to describe many branches of Chinese criminal organizations based in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau, Mainland China, and also in countries with significant Chinese populations, such as Malaysia, Singapore, the U.S.A. and Canada. Triad (Traditional Chinese: ; Simplified Chinese: ; Pinyin: ; literally Triad Society) or (Traditional Chinese: ; Simplified Chinese: ; Pinyin: ; literally Black Society, a general term for criminal organizations) is a term that describes many branches of Chinese underground society and/or organizations based in Hong Kong and Macau and also operating in Taiwan, mainland...
Simplified Chinese characters (Simplified Chinese: 简体字; Traditional Chinese: 簡體字; pinyin: jiǎntǐzì; also called 简化字/簡化字, jiǎnhuàzì) are one of two standard character sets of printed contemporary Chinese written language. ...
Traditional Chinese characters are one of two standard character sets of printed contemporary Chinese written language. ...
Pinyin, more formally called Hanyu Pinyin (Simplified Chinese: ; Traditional Chinese: ; Pinyin: ), is the most common variant of Standard Mandarin romanization system in use. ...
Organized crime or criminal organizations are groups or operations run by criminals, most commonly for the purpose of generating a monetary profit. ...
For the Chinese civilization, see China. ...
Street gangs in the United States have a long and complex history dating to the early 1800s. ...
Triad activities include crimes such as car theft, contract killing, drug trafficking, extortion, money laundering, illegal gambling, forced prostitution and other forms of racketeering. In the present-day, major sources of triads' incomes include counterfeiting of copyrighted and trademarked goods, such as clothing, computer software, watches, handbags, pirated music CDs and film VCDs/DVDs.[citation needed] Triads are also known to trade in animal parts of endangered species, such as sharks, as well as smuggling tobacco and alcohol products. Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ...
Contract killing occurs when a private contractor or a government hires someone to kill a specific person or people for a sum of money. ...
Retail selling Street selling is the bottom of the chain and can be accomplished through purchasing from prostitutes, through cloaked retail stores or refuse houses for users in the act located in red-light districts which often also deal in paraphernalia, dealers marketing merriment at night clubs and other events...
Extortion is a criminal offense, which occurs when a person either obtains money, property or services from another through coercion or intimidation or threatens one with physical harm unless they are paid money or property. ...
Money laundering is the practice of engaging in financial transactions in order to conceal the identity, source and destination of the money in question. ...
Gaming law can be described as the set of rules and regulations that apply to the gaming or gambling industry. ...
Whore redirects here. ...
Organized crime is crime carried out systematically by formal criminal organizations. ...
For other uses, see Counterfeit (disambiguation). ...
Not to be confused with copywriting. ...
“(TM)†redirects here. ...
History
Precursors The earliest triads started as resistance/rebel forces who opposed Manchu rule in China during the Qing Dynasty, as the Manchurians were regarded as foreign invaders in the predominant Han Chinese society of China then. In the 1760s, the Heaven and Earth Society (天地會) was founded, with its objective to overthrow the Qing Dynasty and restore Han Chinese rule in China. As the society's influence spread throughout China, it branched into several smaller groups with different names, one of which was the Three Harmonies Society (三合會). These societies adopted the triangle as their emblem, usually accompanied by decorative images of swords or portraits of Guan Yu. The term "triad" was first coined by British authorities in colonial Hong Kong, as a reference to the triads' use of triangular imagery. Some triad organizations also trace their roots to the revolutionary movement called White Lotus Society.[citation needed] The Manchu people (Manchu: Manju; simplified Chinese: ; traditional Chinese: ; pinyin: MÇŽnzú, Mongolian: Манж) are a Tungusic people who originated in Manchuria (todays Northeastern China). ...
Flag (1890-1912) Anthem Gong Jinou (1911) Qing China at its greatest extent. ...
This article is about the majority ethnic group within China. ...
The Tiandihui (Chinese: 天地會; pinyin: ; Yale Cantonese: tin1 dei6 wui2; literally Heaven and Earth Society) is a fraternal organization that originated in China. ...
The Tiandihui (Chinese: ; pinyin: tiÄndìhuì; Yale Cantonese: tin1 dei6 wui2; Vietnamese: ; literally Heaven and Earth Society) is a fraternal organization that originated in China. ...
This is a Chinese name; the family name is Guan (關) Guan Yu (關羽) (160–219) was a general under the warlord Liu Bei during the late Eastern Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms era of China. ...
White Lotus (Pai-lien chiao) sectarianism appealed to Chinese, most notably to women and to the poor, who found solace in worship of the Eternal Mother who was to gather all her children at the millennium into one family. ...
Post-imperial developments Following the fall of the Qing Dynasty in 1911 and the collapse of imperial rule in China, the Hong Society's primary objective, to overthrow the Manchu rulers, was considered achieved. A consequence of this "victory" was that the society had lost its motivation for survival, compounded by the fact that some rebels had missed the opportunity to participate in the actual uprising, rendering most of them angry and depressed. As the rebels were unable to revert back to their lives as ordinary citizens, after having spent years in grave danger and extreme violence as outlaws, many of them reunited to form criminal organizations. The triads had also lost financial support from the public after the collapse of the Qing Dynasty, hence they resorted to extorting money from commoners for funding their activities. Flag (1890-1912) Anthem Gong Jinou (1911) Qing China at its greatest extent. ...
The Tiandihui (Chinese: ; pinyin: tiÄndìhuì; Yale Cantonese: tin1 dei6 wui2; Vietnamese: ; literally Heaven and Earth Society) is a fraternal organization that originated in China. ...
Migration to Hong Kong When the Chinese Communist Party came to power in 1949 in the Mainland, law enforcement became stricter and tough governmental crackdown on criminal organizations forced the triads to migrate to Hong Kong, then a British colony. It was estimated that in the 1950s, there were about 300,000 triad members in Hong Kong.[1] By 1951, there were eight main triads operating in Hong Kong and they had divided the land accordingly to their ethnic groups and geographical locations, with each triad in charge of a region. The eight triads were Wo, Rung, Tung, Chuen, Shing, Sun Yee On, 14K and Luen. Each of them had its own headquarters, its sub-societies and public covers. After the 1956 riots, the Hong Kong government introduced stricter law enforcement and triads became less active. Communist Party of China flag The Communist Party of China (Simplified Chinese: 中国共产党; Traditional Chinese: 中國共産黨; pinyin: Zhōnggu ngchǎndǎng) is the ruling party of the Peoples Republic of China. ...
Wo Shing Wo(å’Œå‹å’Œ) is the original Wo Group Triad, and it is the longest established triad in Hong Kong. ...
This article is about the surname, for the Abbreviated Province please see Sichuan Chuan, Quan (in Mainland China), Chuen (in Cantonese pronunciation) (Chinese: ; Hanyu Pinyin: ) is a rare Chinese family name. ...
Sun Yee On (Traditional Chinese: ; Cantonese Yale: sà n yih òn) or New Righteousness and Peace is one of the leading triads[1] in Hong Kong, with an estimated 25,000 members. ...
The 14K (åå››K) is a Triad group based in Hong Kong but active internationally. ...
Luen group is one of the Organized Crime groups of Hong Kong. ...
The Hong Kong 1956 riots began with looting and attacks by Pro-Nationalist on Pro-Communist citizens and property in Hong Kong during October, 1956, and soon developed into large, and violent, riots. ...
Recent developments As the triads' power increases, they remain on low-profile but still engage in criminal activities. The scale of triad membership is difficult even for its leaders to ascertain. While some small triads have only about 50 members, the larger ones may have more than 30,000. Some of the more well-known triads in Hong Kong include Sun Yee On, Wo Shing Wo and 14K. Sun Yee On (Traditional Chinese: ; Cantonese Yale: sà n yih òn) or New Righteousness and Peace is one of the leading triads[1] in Hong Kong, with an estimated 25,000 members. ...
Wo Shing Wo(å’Œå‹å’Œ) is the original Wo Group Triad, and it is the longest established triad in Hong Kong. ...
The 14K (åå››K) is a Triad group based in Hong Kong but active internationally. ...
Triads have been engaging in counterfeiting since the 1880s. Between the 1960s and 1970s, the triads were involved in counterfeiting Chinese currency, often so of the Hong Kong 50-cent piece. In the same decade, the gangs were also involved in copying books, usually expensive ones, and selling them in the black market. As new technology is introduced and the average person's standard of living improves, the triads have progressed to producing counterfeit goods such as watches, film VCDs/DVDs and designer apparel such as clothing and handbags.[2] It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into underground economy. ...
The standard of living refers to the quality and quantity of goods and services available to people and the way these services and goods are distributed within a population. ...
This page is about timekeeping devices. ...
The actual source of funding for triads in the meantime, however, comes from computers. The triads are effective in smuggling pornographic materials and have cornered the market when it comes to computer software piracy. They have increased their income by employing some skilled computer technicians.[citation needed]
Triad organizational structure  Traditional triad organizational structure. Some Hong Kong triads have their own armed forces like international drug cartels, maintaining and protecting vital resources such as stockpiles of cash, drug products and ammunition. Like the Mafia, triads usually limit violence to within their own community rather than on the public. Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ...
There is no leading figure in the Hong Kong triads to control all other members in illegal activities via a hierarchy structure. Instead, they are split into several independent groups and may not function under an absolute and strict dominion-and-compliance plan. For example, the King Yee is a subsidiary branch of Sun Yee On, but members of King Yee do not take orders from their "superiors". The actual power of the triads lies at the ground level of the hierarchy. Usually, a triad "official" ("Red Pole") leads a group of 15 active members (aka "soldiers") and engages in aggressive activities on their "turf". A leader with apparent hegemony may not be able to command other leaders and internal conflict may arise when the groups fight each other to seize greater benefits. Sun Yee On (Traditional Chinese: ; Cantonese Yale: sà n yih òn) or New Righteousness and Peace is one of the leading triads[1] in Hong Kong, with an estimated 25,000 members. ...
Triads also use numeric codes to distinguish between ranks and positions within the gang. For example, "426" refers to "fighter" while "49" denotes a rank-and-file member. "489" refers to the "mountain master" while 438 is used for the "deputy mountain master", 415 for "white paper fan" and 432 for the "straw sandal". "25" refers to an undercover law enforcement agent or spy from another triad, and has become popularly used in Hong Kong as a slang for "traitor".
As the Hong Kong economy flourishes, triads barely provide "satisfying" social and pecuniary conditions to foster absolute loyalty among its members. One consequence of this is that the current triad structure has become more flexible; the customary eight-ranking system has changed into a four-ranks one, as illustrated in the diagram below. The sophisticated initiation ritual for new members has been simplified into a common practice of "hanging the Blue Lantern", an oral agreement (like a spoken oath) with little formality. The degree of autocracy within the triad has also decreased as members have higher tendency to prioritize their personal interests, with greater freedom in switching from one group to another without showing regard for the traditional founding principles.
Initiation Triad members are subject to initiation ceremonies just like the Italian Mafia or the Japanese Yakuza. A typical ceremony takes place at an altar dedicated to Guan Yu, with incense and an animal sacrifice, usually a chicken, pig or goat. After drinking a mixture of wine and blood of the animal or the candidate, the member will pass 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 on the left hand will be raised as a binding gesture.[3] Coming from the Latin, initiation implies a beginning. ...
This article is about the criminal society. ...
For other uses, see Yakuza (disambiguation). ...
This is a Chinese name; the family name is Guan (關) Guan Yu (關羽) (160–219) was a general under the warlord Liu Bei during the late Eastern Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms era of China. ...
Overseas activities Triads are also active in other regions with significant overseas Chinese populations, apart from the Chinese mainland, Taiwan and Hong Kong. Triads are known to be operating in countries such as the U.S., Canada, Australia, the U.K., Germany and France. They are often involved in helping immigrants enter countries illegally. Languages various Religions Predominantly Taoism, Mahayana Buddhism, traditional Chinese religions, and atheism. ...
For other uses of terms redirecting here, see US (disambiguation), USA (disambiguation), and United States (disambiguation) Motto In God We Trust(since 1956) (From Many, One; Latin, traditional) Anthem The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington, D.C. Largest city New York City National language English (de facto)1 Demonym American...
“UK†redirects here. ...
Tongs Tongs are similar to triads except that they originated among early immigrant Chinatown communities independently, rather than as extensions of modern triads. The first Tongs formed in the second half of the 19th century among the more marginalized members of early immigrant Chinese American communities for mutual support and protection from nativists. These Tongs modeled themselves on triads, but they were established without clear political motives, yet they become involved in criminal activities such as extortion, illegal gambling, human trafficking, murder and prostitution.[4] In recent years, some Tongs have reformed to eliminate their criminal elements and have become civic-minded organizations.[citation needed] A tong (Chinese: å ‚; Cantonese Yale: tong4; Pinyin: táng; literal: hall) is a Chinese American secret society. ...
This article is about sections of an urban area associated with a large number of Chinese residents or commercial activities. ...
A Chinese American is an American who is of ethnic Chinese descent. ...
The factual accuracy of this article is disputed. ...
Triad activities Gang fights Like any typical criminal organization, the triads usually settle their disputes with violent means. Unsuccessful financial deals between two triads may be resolved in street fights. For example, the 14K Triad in Macau used car bombs, drive-by shootings and 100 knives attacks in a battle with another triad spawned from a workers' union.[citation needed] This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...
For other uses, see Car bomb (disambiguation). ...
Organized crime Present-day triads have developed into more business-like corporations. The interaction and integration of power among triads from the Mainland, Taiwan, Macau and Hong Kong, are often not to evade counter-operations from local authorities, but rather, to attain business benefits. The largest and most business-oriented market for the triads is in the Chinese mainland at present.[citation needed] Triads head for any profitable opportunity and some Hong Kong triads have switched to making investments in the mainland, either for legal reasons or exploit the legitimacy of these businesses for other illegal purposes. Triad countermeasures in Hong Kong Law enforcement means The Organized Crime and Triad Bureau (OCTB) is a division within the Hong Kong Police Force that is responsible for triad countermeasures. The OCTB and Criminal Intelligence Bureau work together with the Narcotics Bureau and Commercial Crime Bureau to process data and information collected by their operation units to counter triad leaders. Other departments involved in countering triad activities include Customs and Excise Department, Immigration Department and ICAC. They cooperate with the police to impede triads' expansions and other organized gangs. Royal Hong Kong Police Force Chinese: The Hong Kong Police Force is the police force of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the Peoples Republic of China. ...
The Customs and Excise Department (C&ED, Traditional Chinese: ) is responsible for the protection of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region against smuggling; the protection and collection of Government revenue on dutiable goods; the detection and deterrence of narcotics trafficking and abuse of controlled drugs; the protection of intellectual property...
The Immigration Department (Traditional Chinese: , known as 人民入境事務處 before the 1997 handover) of the Hong Kong Government is responsible for immigration control of Hong Kong. ...
According to the Security Bureau, there is no current evidence to indicate any deterioration of the triad problem in Hong Kong. For ten years (1993–2002), the proportion of crimes related to triad activities has remained fairly steady at about 3.8%, and at 2.7% for the first nine months in 2003. The bureau has also added more than 240 anti-triad specialist posts since 1996 to strengthen the anti-triad squad of the police force. The Security Bureau (Traditional Chinese: ä¿å®‰å±€) is a body of the Government of Hong Kong responsible for a range of activities, including law enforcement and firefighting. ...
Legal measures Primary laws in Hong Kong addressing the triad problem are the Societies Ordinance and the Organized & Serious Crimes Ordinance. The former was enacted in 1949 to outlaw triads in Hong Kong. It stipulates that any person convicted of professing or claiming to be an office bearer or managing or assisting in the management of a triad can be fined up to HK$1 million and a prison term of up to 15 years. Being a member of a triad is already an offence punishable by fines ranging from HK$100,000 to HK$250,000 and three to seven years imprisonment. The latter, was enacted in Hong Kong in 1994, and aims to provide the police with special investigative powers, to provide heavier penalties for organized crime activities and to authorize the courts to confiscate the proceeds of such crimes. Organized crime or criminal organizations are groups or operations run by criminals, most commonly for the purpose of generating a monetary profit. ...
Other methods The government has also introduced a comprehensive publicity programme to increase awareness about triads in the public. For example, the Junior Police Call, uses networks to publicize anti-triad messages, while the Crime Prevention Bureau is keeping in contact with local businesses and encouraging them to report triad activities. The Hong Kong police force also cooperates with foreign law enforcement agencies specializing in dealing with organized crime, especially regions with significant Chinese populations. The Doan Family Protection Agency is one of such organizations, spread throughout the world to combat triads on an international scale. The Witness Protection Unit was also established in 1995 to augment witness security, in order to encourage the public to report triad activities. In 2000, the Witness Protection Ordinance was enacted and began operating on 9 November to legalize the Witness Protection Programme. Organized crime or criminal organizations are groups or operations run by criminals, most commonly for the purpose of generating a monetary profit. ...
See also References - ^ Hong Kong's T-Shirt Contest, TIME, November 28, 2007
- ^ M. Booth, 'The Dragon Syndicates; The Global Phenomenon of the Triads', Doubleday-Great Britain 1999, pp 386-400.
- ^ [1]
- ^ [2]
Further reading - Booth, Martin. The Dragon Syndicates: The Global Phenomenon of the Triads
- Lintner, Bertil. Blood Brothers: The Criminal Underworld of Asia. Allen & Unwin.
External links The Chongqing gang trials (Chinese: ; pinyin: Chóngqìng dÇŽ hÄ“i chú Ä› zhuÄnxià ng xÃngdòng; literally Targeted actions against dark and evil forces in Chongqing) were a series of gang-busting trials in the city of Chongqing beginning in October 2009. ...
Wan Kuok-koi (尹國駒; Cantonese: Wan Gwok-keui; Mandarin: YÇn GuójÅ«), popularly known as Broken Tooth Koi (崩牙駒; Cantonese: bung nga keui; Mandarin: bÄ“ng yá jÅ«) was, until his arrest, the leader of the Macau branch of the 14K Triad. ...
Tattoos are used among criminals to show membership of gangs and record the wearers personal history such as his or her skills, specialities, accomplishments and convictions. ...
The following is a list of Chinese criminal organizations. ...
Organized crime or criminal organizations are groups or operations run by criminals, most commonly for the purpose of generating a monetary profit. ...
The Russian Mafia or Russkaya Mafiya, Red Mafia, Krasnaya Mafiya or Bratva (slang for brotherhood), is a name given to a broad group of organized criminals of exclusively Russian, non-Jewish ethnicity which appeared in the former Soviet Union territories after its disintegration in 1991. ...
The Tiandihui (Chinese: ; pinyin: ; Yale Cantonese: tin1 dei6 wui2; literally Heaven and Earth Society) is a fraternal organization that originated in China. ...
A Tong is a Chinese criminal organization, from the Cantonese word å ‚. While the literal definition is a place where extended family meet (å»Ÿå ‚), it usually means a clandestine Chinese secret society Some of the first Tongs formed in the second half of the 19th century among the earliest immigrant Chinese American...
Triads in United Kingdom first appeared during the post-World War era with the 14K Triad emerging in Chinese communities in London, Birmingham, Liverpool and Manchester in England and Glasgow in Scotland as early as 1952. ...
For other uses, see Yakuza (disambiguation). ...
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