Triad Operations

There are two simple and distinct trains of thought about Triads, and other Asian based crime syndicates, existing within Australia. On one hand we have the skeptics, who believe we have nothing to fear, whilst on the other we have those who believe Triad activity is already a common occurrence on our shores.

Unfortunately, there is no simple answer than can support either theory. The reason for this is that evidence remains scarce, and even though there are sneaking suspicions, these are not enough to base an entire crime policy on.

The reason evidence is scare can be attributed to several factors:
1. The reluctance of individuals, particularly those of Asian decent, in reporting such matters to authorities for fear of their well being, or bad experiences in past from legal officials within their home land and/or Australia.
2. Limited interpretation and understanding of some cultures tend to make it difficult to perceive or understand threats. In 1994, police had no members of Vietnamese origin, thus they were confronted by not only the language barriers, but the mistrust of the people who could not relate to them.
3. In 1988 it was recorded that Asian crime could not be watched in depth outside of Sydney because of limited funds. At the same time, the NCA reported that such criminal activities were just as entrenched within Melbourne and Western Australia.
4. Tracing the origin of financial transactions is extremely difficult, and without this type of information, we do not know what is being purchased with illegally gained funds. To make matters worse, Japanese privacy laws limit the ability of it’s police to provide information on citizens to foreign law enforcement agencies. On two occasions, Yakuza members sued the government for releasing their information to other countries.

It is important to keep in mind that the make up of migration has changed dramatically over the last 30 years. In the 60’s the majority of migrants were from the United Kingdom. In the years 1995 to 1996, this group only made up 11% of the total. The steady decline of Europeans has been offset by an increase in the amount of immigrants from Asia. During the years 1995 to 1996, Asians made up 40% of the total migrant intake. With such high figures, is it not possible that some of the new arrivals have criminal backgrounds, or worse still, bring unwanted traits with them?

And if you still believe that crime organisations are not present, I ask you this – why have Australian customs officials noted on several occasions, known Yakuza members entering this country with huge amounts of money in excess of $700,000? In 1994, their numbers amounted to 40. These 40 were only noticed because they were well known, so you have to consider, how many entered that were unknown at the time.

What we definitely know is this:

1.With Hong Kong returning to Chinese rule in 1997, many individuals fled to avoid persecution, or because they perceived the new government to represent a lose in profits.
2. A large proportion of the establishments within Queensland have been financed by Japanese individuals. Some of who are Yakuza members.
3. The South Australian police commissioner, David Hunt, in 1994 said Vietnamese gang activity in areas of extortion and narcotics, were on the increase.
4. Casinos are not legal in Japan. This makes Australia a viable option with its abundance of gambling houses when it comes to laundering money.
5. In 1988, Chai NamYung, the head of the Australian branch of the Wo Yee Tong Triad, was convicted for importing 31 kg of heroin. Likewise, in 1992 at Melbourne airport, Yoshio Katsuno a ‘former’ Yakuza member was arrested for attempting to bring 12 kilograms of heroin into the country.

It would be unwise to presume that such groups will not, and do not exist within Australia. Particuarly in the light that such groups have developed within other countries like the U.K, America, and Canada.

Even if established crime groups do not relocate or extend their activities into Australia, we will still feel their impact. This is because we face the possibility that new groups may emerge in Australia, based on the Triad and Yakuza concepts, or at least using their name to exploit the growing Asian population – with possible international ties. Individuals who have been part of such groups and are now living here, may tend to inadvertently continue to deal with situations typically as though they were still part of those gangs. For instance, Victor Chan – a doctor working within Australia was killed by two Vietnamese men, who though were not active members of any gang at the time, had learnt their stand over techniques from such groups, and new no other way to survive.

Likewise, it is estimated that such groups, even though they may not be directly located within our shores, are in control of 90% of the world’s heroin trade. The AFP stated that 80% of this seized heroin can be traced directly to the ‘Golden Triangle’ – an area in south-east Asia where Burma, Thailand and Laos meet.

Written By Evan Sycamnias