Organised Asian criminal networks

Asian crime gangs cross the ethnic line | News.com.au

ORGANISED Asian crime syndicates have abandoned historic triad gang structures and reached out across ethnic lines to supply Australia's multi-billion dollar drug trade.

The control of traditional Asian triad gangs - such as the Sun Yee On, the 14K and the Big Circle gangs - on drug importation networks was broken by a new breed of tech-savvy criminal syndicates running sophisticated, business-like operations.

Senior police said the changing nature of Asian drug importation networks over the past 15 years had been fuelled by the desire for profit and a shift in demand on the streets from heroin to MDMA and crystal methamphetamine, known as ice.

Unlike outlaw motorcycle gangs they have no clubhouses, do not identify themselves with colours or gang insignia and have no guiding rules for membership.

Australia has one of the most lucrative illicit drug markets in the world.

Once the stronghold of structured triad gangs - which grew in China and Hong Kong in the 1940s and became active in Sydney and Melbourne in the 1970s, '80s and '90s - drug importation rackets are now led by underground Asian crime bosses.

These bosses recruit individuals, often across the ethnic divide, for one-off operations before disbanding the group.

Organised Crime Directorate head Detective Chief Superintendent Ken McKay said Asian crime syndicates now recruited and worked with any criminal networks, including Middle Eastern, Pacific Islander, Italian and Caucasian.

"There are no clear ethnic lines now - it's a fluid mix," he said.

"Asian crime networks do still communicate within their ethnic groups, however their criminal activities reach across a diverse ethnic spectrum.

"There is no longer that brotherhood among the top end, organised Asian criminal groups."

Organised Asian criminal networks held a "significant influence" over drug importations to Australia but in NSW the groups were also active in drug distribution, extortion, identity fraud, credit card fraud and hydroponic cannabis cultivation.

NSW Police led a series of successful drug investigations in recent months, including a joint operation with the AFP, NSW Crime Commission, the Australian Crime Commission and Customs which led to the seizure on January 21 of 50kg of the drug ice, worth $20 million, allegedly hidden in car parts sent from China.

Two men were charged with trafficking a commercial quantity of ice and police believe a third man, 29-year-old Jackie Gu Xiong, may be able to assist with inquiries into the seizure.

Detective Inspector Scott Cook, a 15-year veteran of the Asian crime squad before recently moving to the robbery and serious crime squad, said Asian crime networks now operated "corporate", business-like criminal activities.

"It's contracting out a criminal activity. Groups come together to commit a crime, then they dissipate," he said.