Hong Kong police arrest 125 in crackdown on mafia-controlled construction racket

Hong Kong authorities have dismantled a mafia network with ties to the construction industry, arresting 125 individuals. The group allegedly used threats, coercion, and violence, including arson, to control the daily supply of lunches to construction sites in Kowloon. This operation, which involved months of intelligence gathering, targeted the alleged ringleader, his lieutenants, and employees.

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The criminal structure had consolidated a lucrative de facto monopoly over the daily distribution of lunches at various construction sites in Kowloon.

The criminal organization is accused of extortion, intimidation, and money laundering. They reportedly distributed about 800 meals daily at HK$50 each, generating an estimated HK$12 million ($1.5 million) annually. This captive market provided a stable income stream, diversifying the group's financing beyond traditional illicit activities.

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To secure their territorial dominance over these developing plots, the network systematically expelled any competitor or independent vendor through escalating violence that included verbal threats, physical intimidation, serious damage to machinery and property, and even arson.

This bust underscores persistent concerns about organized crime in the city's development zones, where force is used to secure essential services. It follows a significant joint operation in March that uncovered a sophisticated bribery scheme to monopolize maintenance contracts for residential buildings, operating in collusion with illegal gambling dens. That investigation revealed how a consultancy secured bids with low initial fees, then subcontracted intermediaries linked to mafias to manipulate public tenders through force.

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The organization imposed and distributed about 800 menus daily to workers for a price of 50 Hong Kong dollars per unit ($6.3).