--- description: After a series of raids carried out over the past three months, Hong Kong police announced that they've arrested 4,343 people title: Hong Kong Police Arrest 4,343 Suspected Triads in Crackdown image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt5f7cfbb771e6623a/698865298e0601485b4627ef/457237762.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [World](/section/world/) ## World Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [Hong Kong](/tag/hong-kong/) ## Hong Kong Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Crackdown on Organized Crime in Hong Kong Leads to the Arrest of 4,343 Suspected Triads by [Joanna Plucinska](/author/joanna-plucinska/) ## Joanna Plucinska Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Sep 24, 2015 9:29 AM CUT  Hong Kong youth protesting against the Chinese government, an angry crowd, mostly shopkeepers who can not work and people paid by triads attacked a pro-democracy camp students in October 3, 2014 in Hong Kong Hong Kong youth protesting against the Chinese government, an angry crowd, mostly shopkeepers who can not work and people paid by triads attacked a pro-democracy camp students in October 3, 2014 in Hong KongCanovas Alvaro—Paris Match via Getty Images by [Joanna Plucinska](/author/joanna-plucinska/) ## Joanna Plucinska Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Sep 24, 2015 9:29 AM CUT A series of raids by Hong Kong police over the past three months has led to the [arrest](http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1860743/mass-triad-crackdown-nails-over-51000-hong-kong-macau-and "undefined") of 4,343 people allegedly connected to the city’s famed organized crime syndicate, the triads. Officials say more than 7,500 different locations were raided across the Chinese Special Administrative Region, including on residences and gambling venues, as part of a joint operation with mainland Chinese authorities that netted another 42,990 arrests over the border, the _South China_ _Morning Post_ reports. Police also said they seized around $13 million in cash, illegal drugs and contraband. According to _SCMP_, the raids, which ended last week, are a part of an annual multinational attempt to crush criminal gangs. Last year, the police were unable to carry out their usual investigations due to the Occupy pro-democracy protests, meaning this year’s operation, codenamed Thunderbolt15, was extended by an additional two months. Many of the arrests were tied to the triads, a well-known, transnational criminal organization operating in Hong Kong, China, Macau and Taiwan. The fragmented groups are largely responsible for extortion, drug and arms trafficking, as well as prostitution and gambling. “The message we want to send out is that the police have zero tolerance to any kind of illegal activities, including triad activities,” Chief Superintendent of the Organised Crime and Triad Bureau, Au Chin-chau, told journalists. ### 79 Days That Shook Hong Kong  Pro-democracy demonstrators are sprayed with pepper spray during clashes with police officers during a rally near the Hong Kong government headquarters on Sept. 28, 2014. Xaume Olleros—AFP/Getty Images  A pro-democracy demonstrator gestures after police fired tear gas towards protesters near the Hong Kong government headquarters on Sept. 28, 2014. Xaume Olleros—AFP/Getty Images  Riot police use tear gas against protesters after thousands of people blocked a main road at the financial central district in Hong Kong, Sept. 28, 2014. AP  Policemen rest following pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong on Sept. 29, 2014. Xaume Olleros—AFP/Getty Images  A protester raises his arms as police officers try to disperse the crowd near the government headquarters in Hong Kong, Sept. 29, 2014. Carlos Barria—Reuters  Protesters gather in the streets outside the Hong Kong Government Complex on Sept. 29, 2014 in Hong Kong. Chris McGrath—Getty Images  Pro-democracy demonstrators hold up their mobile phones during a protest near the Hong Kong government headquarters on Sept. 29, 2014. Dale de la Rey—AFP/Getty Images  A protester sleeps on the streets outside the Hong Kong Government Complex at sunrise on Sept. 30, 2014 in Hong Kong. Paula Bronstein—Getty Images  Protesters take part in a rally on a street outside of Hong Kong Government Complex on Sept. 30, 2014 in Hong Kong. Anthony Kwan—Getty Images  Joshua Wong, leader of the student movement, delivers a speech as protesters block the main street to the financial Central district, outside the government headquarters building in Hong Kong Oct. 1, 2014. Carlos Barria—Reuters  Protesters react as Joshua Wong (not pictured), leader of the student movement, speaks to the crowd outside the government headquarters building in Hong Kong, Oct. 1, 2014. Carlos Barria—Reuters  A protester holding an umbrella stands on the street close to the Hong Kong Government Complex on Oct. 1, 2014 in Hong Kong. Chris McGrath—Getty Images  A local resident breaks through police lines and attempts to reach the pro-democracy tent on Oct. 3, 2014 in Mong Kok, Hong Kong. Chris McGrath—Getty Images  Policemen try to get a man to let go of a fence guarded by pro-democracy demonstrators in an occupied area of Hong Kong on Oct. 3, 2014. Philippe Lopez—AFP/Getty Images  A pro-democracy protester sleeps on a concrete road divider on a street outside the Hong Kong Government Complex on Oct. 5, 2014 in Hong Kong. Chris McGrath—Getty Images  The statue "Umbrella Man" by the Hong Kong artist known as Milk, is set up at a pro-democracy protest site next to the central government offices in Hong Kong on Oct. 5, 2014. Alex Ogle—AFP/Getty Images  A pro-democracy protester uses bamboo to strengthen a barricade blocking a major road in Hong Kong on Oct. 13, 2014. Alex Ogle—AFP/Getty Images  Demonstrators walk past notes hanging on a wall outside the Central Government Offices in the Admiralty business district in Hong Kong on Oct. 17, 2014. Brent Lewin—Bloomberg/Getty Images  Tents set up by pro-democracy protesters are seen in an occupied area outside the government headquarters in Hong Kong's Admiralty district, Nov. 12, 2014. Vincent Yu—AP  A young Hong Kong couple who did not give their names wear gas masks as they pose for a wedding photographer prior to their marriage next to the tents used by pro-deocracy demonstrators at the Admiralty protest site on Nov. 14, 2014 in Hong Kong. Kevin Frayer—Getty Images  Police face pro-democracy protesters on Nov. 19, 2014 outside the central government offices in the Admiralty district of Hong Kong. Alex Ogle—AFP/Getty Images  Pro-democracy activists join arms as they face off with police outside the Legislative Council building on Nov. 19, 2014 in Hong Kong. Chris McGrath—Getty Images  Police officers disperse pro-democracy protesters outside the Legislative Council building after clashes with pro-democracy activists on Nov. 19, 2014 in Hong Kong. Lam Yik Fei—Getty Images  Pro-democracy protesters climb up a wall as police officers disperse them outside the Legislative Council building after clashes with pro-democracy activists on Nov. 19, 2014 in Hong Kong. Lam Yik Fei—Getty Images  Pro-democracy activists sleep outside the Legislative Council building after protesters clashed with police on Nov. 19, 2014 in Hong Kong. Chris McGrath—Getty Images  Police arrest a pro-democracy protester on Lung Wo Road outside Hong Kong's Government complex on Nov. 30, 2014 in Hong Kong. Anthony Kwan—Getty Images  A young student studies in a makeshift classroom set up on a main road at a major pro-democracy protest site in the Admiralty district of Hong Kong on Dec. 1, 2014. Anthony Wallace—AFP/Getty Images  A demonstrator is taken away by policemen, at an area previously blocked by pro-democracy supporters, outside the government headquarters in Hong Kong, Dec. 11, 2014. Athit Perawongmetha—Reuters  Pro-democracy protesters remove signs placed up during the past two months of protests from the area around the protest camp but leave intact the notice "We are dreamers" in the Admiralty in Hong Kong on Dec. 11, 2014. Pedro Ugarte—AFP/Getty Images  Hong Kong police dismantle the remains of the pro-democracy protest camp in the Admiralty district of Hong Kong on Dec. 11, 2014. Pedro Ugarte—AFP/Getty Images \[[_SCMP_](http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1860743/mass-triad-crackdown-nails-over-51000-hong-kong-macau-and "undefined")\] ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4047681/hong-kong-triads-crackdown/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4047681/hong-kong-triads-crackdown/"},"headline":"Crackdown on Organized Crime in Hong Kong Leads to the Arrest of 4,343 Suspected Triads","datePublished":"2015-09-24T09:29:17.000Z","dateModified":"2026-05-11T05:01:31.143Z","description":"The gangs are known for extorting small businesses and running prostitution rings","url":"https://time.com/4047681/hong-kong-triads-crackdown/","keywords":["Hong Kong","Hong Kong topic","Arrests","gang","Mafia"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt5f7cfbb771e6623a/698865298e0601485b4627ef/457237762.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Joanna Plucinska","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/joanna-plucinska/"}],"articleSection":"World","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt5f7cfbb771e6623a/698865298e0601485b4627ef/457237762.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Protestors At Hong-Kong's Pro Democracy Sit In","caption":"Protestors At Hong-Kong's Pro Democracy Sit In","creditText":"Canovas Alvaro—Paris Match via Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/world/","name":"World"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/hong-kong/","name":"Hong Kong"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4047681/hong-kong-triads-crackdown/","name":"Crackdown on Organized Crime in Hong Kong Leads to the Arrest of 4,343 Suspected Triads"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"Hong Kong’s Gangs Blamed For Protest Violence","description":"Entering their sixth day, pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong have turned violent as counter protests sprung up and attempted to dismantle camps in the city’s Mong Kok district.","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/a9oBFV91/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2014-10-04T16:19:14.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/a9oBFV91.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/4047681/hong-kong-triads-crackdown/","duration":"PT1M32S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/4047681/hong-kong-triads-crackdown/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```