Taiwan’s flashy triad parties with supercars, hostesses spark crackdown

Footage on social media showed scores of hostesses lining up to welcome the Bamboo Union members alongside luxury supercars. -WENTISUNG/TWITTER

TAIPEI (Bloomberg): Extravagant parties thrown by triads in Taiwan have spurred calls to crack down on organized crime, after viral videos of the events prompted concern about the power of gangs on the island.

The most high-profile of the events involved a banquet organised by Taiwan’s largest criminal gang, the Bamboo Union, at the Marriott Hotel in the capital Taipei. Footage on social media showed scores of hostesses lining up to welcome the gang members alongside luxury supercars.