The name most associated with organised crime within Hong Kong is the many branches of Chinese underground society and organizations known as the Triads. Triad gang activities are mainly territorial and commonly involve the following types of offences:
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Although one of the most famous criminal organizations in the region, the Triads are not the only source of organized crime in Hong Kong.
Smuggling (both goods and people), counterfeit goods, corruption and prostitution syndicates are all the result of organized groups operating in the territory. Generally organized crime groups in Hong Kong keep a low profile and many of its most profitable activities do not attract high levels of public outrage e.g. illegal gambling and copyright piracy.
As organized crime does not necessarily equate with street crime, it has been said that Hong Kong society can be lulled into a false sense of security. Without high levels of street crime and no great numbers of Mafia-style organized crime syndicates, it has been suggested that the people of Hong Kong, believe that their society is, in law and order terms, healthy and clean, although this may not be the case.
Triads
One of the world's largest triads, Sun Yee On, was founded in Hong Kong in 1919, and has 55,000 members worldwide. Sun Yee On's rival organization, 14K Triad, was formed in Guangzhou, Guangdong, China in 1945, and relocated to Hong Kong in 1949.
Arrests
In August 2013, the Hong Kong Police Force arrested 1,800 people in a crackdown against triads, in an undercover operation entitled Thunderbolt 13. They were charged with various offences, including illegal gambling and money laundering.