Hong Kong police have arrested four men in connection with a New Year’s Day street brawl between two rival triad gangs in the Tsim Sha Tsui entertainment district.
The four, detained in a series of raids on Tuesday and Wednesday, are suspected Wo Shing Wo triad members, according to a source familiar with the case.
As of Wednesday afternoon, anti-triad officers were tracking another 20 people in connection with the clash that broke out on Chatham Road South in Tsim Sha Tsui at about 6.30am on Sunday.
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‘Furious’ Hong Kong police plan crackdown on triads over gangster showdown
The violence was believed to have started when a dispute occurred in a pub on Chatham Road South at daybreak on Sunday, with a suspected Sun Yee On triad member accused of bumping into a woman.
The woman called in her boyfriend who came with about 10 suspected Wo Shing Wo triad members, some armed with knives and wooden bats, according to the source.
A video posted online shows several men believed to be bouncers separating two gangs in the dispute and some of them wielding weapons. The Wo Shing Wo group left the pub after the dispute was settled.
As they were leaving the Chatham Road South building, the source said: “They saw a group of Sun Yee On triad members carrying weapons and running towards them. A chasing battle between the two gangs then ensued.”
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The gangs fled before officers arrived. No casualties were reported in the incident.
After checking security footage for evidence, officers from the Yau Tsim district’s anti-triad squad launched an arrest operation on Tuesday night.
Before daybreak on Wednesday, police picked up four suspected Wo Shing Wo triad members in Sha Tin, Kwai Chung and Tsim Sha Tsui.
The four men, aged 27 to 34, were detained on suspicion of fighting in a public place – an offence punishable by up to two years in jail.
According to the force, police will spare no effort in combating triads and organised crime and “never tolerate any lawless acts of violence”.
The force said it would continue to carry out intelligence-led operations to combat triad activities and criminal sources of income.
Between January and October last year, police handled 1,585 reports of triad-related crimes across the city, up 14.9 per cent from 1,379 cases logged in the same period of 2021.
More from South China Morning Post:
- ‘Furious’ Hong Kong police plan crackdown on triads after shots fired in gangster ambush near nightlife district
- Hong Kong police crack down on triad activities, arresting 208 suspects and closing 6 illegal businesses
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