The Hong Kong Police Force launched anti-crime and anti-triad operations across the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in the past three days, arresting over 400 suspects in a crackdown focusing on illegal activities involving triads.

Codenamed "Thunderbolt 2026" and "Flowingshade", the HKPF's Organized Crime and Triad Bureau (OCTB), together with officers from various regional offices, conducted the crackdown from Aug 6 to 8. 

Officers raided numerous crime hotspots and suspected illegal premises, arresting 429 people, including 201 local men, 42 men from the Chinese mainland, 35 non-Chinese men, 112 local women, 24 women from the mainland, and 15 non-Chinese women, aged between 13 and 86. 

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They were suspected of managing gambling establishments, gambling in gambling establishments, smuggling dangerous drugs, manufacturing dangerous drugs, and possessing dangerous drugs. 

The police filed several charges, including possession of dangerous drugs, operating a drug den, obtaining property by deception, money laundering, criminal damage, assault, burglary, managing a prostitution establishment, possession of offensive weapons, assault causing bodily harm, claiming to be a member of a triad society, and violating conditions of stay. Two of those arrested are suspected of illegal entry.

During the operation, officers seized evidence, including approximately 883 grams of suspected ketamine (K), approximately 304 grams of suspected heroin, approximately 595 grams of suspected crack cocaine, approximately 311 grams of suspected cocaine powder, approximately 968 grams of suspected marijuana, approximately 753 suspected ecstasy pills, approximately 129 suspected etomidate-laced vape, approximately 16 liters of suspected liquid etomidate, and approximately 235 grams of suspected methamphetamine. 

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Officers also confiscated approximately HK$3.7 million ($470,000) in cash, chips worth about HK$200,000, 23 fish table gambling machines, 9 butcher knives, a batch of suspected gambling paraphernalia, and a large quantity of cigarettes.

Police reiterated that combating triad activities is one of the Commissioner of Police's top priorities, and officers will continue to strengthen intelligence gathering and conduct targeted enforcement operations as needed to combat violent crime, triad-related activities, and their sources of income.