Hong Kong police arrest 5 suspected triad members in crackdown on gang allegedly using youngsters for illegal debt collection

Officers from the anti-triad squad arrested four men and one woman in raids on Wednesday and Thursday.

Ng said the arrested had links to at least 14 criminal damage cases involving HK$2 million in debt collection.

A police source said all the suspects, aged between 20 and 48, had triad backgrounds.

The five were detained on suspicion of criminal damage – an offence punishable by up to 10 years in jail.

One of the suspects – a 20-year-old man – was also arrested over car theft, dangerous driving and driving without third-party insurance, according to the force.

The inspector said surveillance camera footage from near the crime scene was a key factor that helped officers identify the suspects.

Ng added CCTV could help prevent crimes, urging shop owners and the wider public to set up cameras at their properties.

Authorities set up 15 sets of surveillance cameras in Mong Kok in March as part of efforts to combat crime and ensure public safety. By the middle of the year, 600 sets of CCTV cameras will be placed in crime hotspots as part of a plan to install 2,000 by the end of 2024.

The Post learned the new Mong Kok cameras had helped police identify two visitors from mainland China who allegedly installed a card reader and false keypad with a wireless transmitter at a cash deposit machine at a bank in the district last month.

Police arrested one of the suspects on April 30 while the other man was placed on a wanted list.