Hong Kong police arrest suspected triad member, hunting 3 gangsters after stand-off with officers

Hong Kong police arrested a suspected high-ranking triad member and are hunting three gangsters as part of raids launched on Thursday following a confrontation with officers in the New Territories, the Post learned.

Four suspected leaders of a faction of the Wo Shing Wo gang allegedly verbally abused three policemen in broad daylight on Tuesday during an operation against illegal parking.

A source familiar with the case said the crackdown on triad-run businesses in Yuen Long and other districts was expected to last for several days.

At about 6pm on Thursday, police escorted the alleged high-ranking triad member, known as “Ku Yeh Wai”, to his flat in Tin Shui Wai for a search.

He is the alleged leader of the faction in Yuen Long and a “red-pole” fighter who acts as an enforcer for the group.

He was among those arrested when a white-clad mob brandishing sticks and metal rods attacked protesters and commuters at a station on the night between July 21 and 22, 2019, during the anti-government protests. He was arrested but not charged.

White-clad mob brutally attacks Hong Kong protesters in MTR station, injuring 45

On Tuesday, police reinforcements were called in at around 4.30pm when three officers were allegedly verbally abused on Sai Yu Street in Yuen Long for issuing tickets to illegally parked vehicles.

The other suspected triad faction leaders were “Sze Ngan Cheong”, “Hak Tsai Leong” and “Fei Sing”.

“Ku Yeh Wai” was active in Yuen Long, while the other three were operative in Tsuen Wan, according to the source. The latter three live in Yuen Long.

“Three of them allegedly berated police due to their dissatisfaction with the force action, while the fourth man filmed with his mobile phone,” the insider said.

Some of the cars police ticketed for illegal parking belonged to them.

The source added police gave the four men a verbal warning and requested their ID cards, but they refused to cooperate and started shouting.

Officers from the Yuen Long anti-triad squad arrested “Ku Yeh Wai” at about 9pm on Wednesday. He was detained on suspicion of obstructing police officers in execution of duty.

As of Thursday evening, police were still searching for the other three men in connection with the case.

Between October 26 and 29, police rounded up 46 people in a four-day anti-triad operation in the New Territories launched following an assault on security guards.

The 46 suspects included an alleged high-ranking member of the Sun Yee On triad and 13 of his followers, who were taken into custody in connection with an attack against three guards who attempted to impound illegally parked cars outside a public housing estate in Tuen Mun.

Hong Kong police arrest 46 in anti-triad operation after attack on guards

Three of five men unhappy over the attempt to impound the vehicles started fighting with the security personnel before fleeing in three of the cars involved.

The other suspects were arrested when officers raided triad-run gambling dens and brothels in the New Territories North region.

Police handled 912 triad-related crimes in the first six months of this year, a 7.2 per cent increase from 851 cases logged in the same period in 2022.