Ah Kong
Encyclopedia
Ah Kong was an organized crime
gang involved in its main trade of drugs and used to control the European
heroin trade in the 1970s to 1990s. It was one of the world's largest drug syndicates with its origin from Singapore
but was based in the drug capital of the world, Amsterdam
, Holland and Bangkok
, Thailand
where they received their drug supplies. The production of heroin was at an area known as the Golden Triangle
formed by Thailand
, Laos
and Myanmar
. Holland is a haven for criminals because of their liberal laws and a gateway to one of the largest drug consumer markets in the world, Europe
. Ah Kong was not a triad but a fearsome organized crime
gang that was renowned all over Asia
and Europe
.
Although Ah Kong was based in Amsterdam
and Bangkok
, it had operations in other major European
cities and the Asia-Pacific
. Ah Kong, which means 'The Company' or short for kongsi
in Hokkien
had never been based in Singapore
. It was also known to have had Malaysian Chinese
members and had Thai
and Indonesian
connections, and over the years they had built strong ties with the infamous Penang
-based Sio Sam Ong
. Most of the members of Ah Kong were Chinese Singaporeans and spoke Hokkien
although they were overseas-based. It was formed when several members of See Tong (which mean buddies or a group of close friends) killed and seriously injured members of their rival gang in a gang clash, and escaped to Holland. While in Holland, the notorious gang received more members joining them. These new members had had military training that was acquired while doing their rigorous National Service
stint.
After the assassination of the Ah Kong boss in 1997, they began to lose their influence to the Sin Ma gang based in Rotterdam
led by a Singaporean fugitive wanted for first-degree murder with firearm in the 1980s. The last official Ah Kong boss died in March 2010.
population, secret societies
and gangs were part and parcel of everyday life which the local populace in Singapore
had to live with. The gangs' activities, which included extortions, illegal gambling, prostitution, drug dealing, loansharking (illegal moneylending), armed robberies and kidnapping, were a major menace in Singapore, especially in the 1950s to the 1970s. Gang wars that resulted in deaths and serious injuries, even to common bystanders, were a common sight in those days.
In 1954, the Commissioner of Police in Singapore revealed that there were 368 known secret societies in Singapore. The police had kept the records of 20000 members of secret societies, of which 6500 were active members. This was out of a population of less than two million people then.
To eradicate the secret societies, the Criminal Law (Temporary Provisions) Act was used by the Singapore government whereby suspected criminals could be arrested without evidence or warrant, and detained indefinitely without the detainee ever being charged with a crime or tried in a court of law.
and about ten of his fellow gang members from See Tong had armed themselves with machetes to attack two members of their rival gang, Pek Kim Leng (White Golden Dragon). The members of See Tong were in two cars and had trailed and cornered the car of their rival gang members at the junction of Bras Basah Road
and North Bridge Road
. One of the rival gang members, who were also armed, was killed and the other seriously injured during the attack.
The clash had arisen from a previous dispute between See Tong and Pek Kim Leng gang members in a bar. Negotiation held later to settle the dispute was broken down. A 'curfew' between the two gangs ensued whereby gang members would attack at the sight of each other.
Roland and many of his fellow gang members were from a Hainanese village at Upper Serangoon, where the community was close-knit and included hardened fugitives and seamen. With the help of See Tong, Roland and some of his 'brothers' managed to escape to Malaysia and then to Amsterdam
, Holland. Most of the gang members involved in the attack were arrested and were jailed without trial.
, the port and capital city of Holland, already had a thriving Chinese community then. The earlier Chinese immigrations were from the former Dutch colonies of Indonesia
and Surinam. This was followed by Hongkongers and smaller numbers of Chinese from Singapore
and Malaysia. Many opened restaurants or work as chefs or restaurant workers. Others were gang members or fugitives.
Holland's relaxed attitude towards drugs not only had created a domestic addiction problem, but also encouraged foreign narcotics merchants, especially the Chinese, to move into the country. Dutch law made it extremely difficult for the police to cope with narcotics traffic. A trafficker must be in physical possession of illegal drugs to be prosecuted. Sting operations and plea bargains are forbidden. Wiretaps cannot be used in direct evidence. Sentences are short and jails are as comfortable as college campuses.
Upon reaching Amsterdam
, Roland and his brethren were received and taken care of by a person known as Johnny, or Big Johnny as some would like to call him. Johnny was the godson
of Roland's mother. He was not a See Tong member but a seaman from Singapore
who had resided in Holland. Johnny was a man with many connections.
Roland and his brethren, who had very little money with them, saw how members of Hong Kong's
infamous 14K
triad were doing a thriving drug trade. In the early 1970s, drug addiction in Europe
was growing at an alarming rate and heroin was in great demand. Very soon, Roland partnered Johnny and they founded Ah Kong but operated under the See Tong flag. It was later when more non-See Tong members joined them did they stopped using it and had a name change. Roland and his men operated as the muscles and Johnny imported the heroin. With only about 10 men altogether, Ah Kong was a very small outfit compared to the already well-established Hong Kong
triads like 14K
, Wo Shing Wo
and Sun Yee On
that had hundreds of members at any one time.
Ah Kong members then did not have firearms but often armed themselves with knives. An incident that marked their arrival to the Dutch
underworld as fearless was when two members of Ah Kong (Johnny and his lieutenant) went to settle a dispute with the Wo Shing Wo
triad in Rotterdam
. Johnny's lieutenant severed the rival gang boss’s arm with a wakizashi
when the latter became hostile and tried to pull out a gun. They escaped but not without a hail of bullets that followed. In another incident, Ah Kong members went to settle a dispute with the 14K
at a restaurant in Chinatown
. They entered the restaurant and yelled ‘Who's 14K?’. A young man stood up and replied he was and they shot him - killing him on the spot. The man who pulled the trigger was a Malaysian Chinese
fugitive known as Tony. Although they were small in numbers but their actions had earned them respect and fear; and their reputation helped them to expand their influence.
By 1973, Ah Kong's dealings had grown and they had become a major player in the heroin trade.
, Chung Mon aka Unicorn of the 14K
. He was a Hakka
born in Bao'an (present Shenzhen
), China
. He was the Chairman of the Overseas Chinese Association in Holland. Not only did Chung Mon did a lot of work for charity and was decorated by the Dutch
government, he was connected with the highest level of the Kuomingtang government in Taiwan
as well. Chung Mon took a 5 percent cut for every drug deal. He was questioned by the police on a number of occasions because of his role in the heroin world, but was released because he had a friend with the police who had some influence. When the Chinese community erupted in a series of gunfights as rival gangs lined up on opposite sides of narrow streets and opened fire on one another with shotguns, the Dutch police went to Chung Mon for help and he gave them a list of most of his competitors.
On 3 March 1975, three men approached Chung Mon as he stepped towards his Mercedes outside his office, and fired ten bullets into the Chinese Godfather. It is believed that the three men, who were never arrested, were sent by Ng Sik-ho aka Limpy Ho, a major Chiuchow/Teochew
drug lord in Hong Kong who was a rival of the 14K
. (In 1991, a Hong Kong
film, "To Be Number One"
, that depicted the life of Limpy Ho was made.)
Within months, the 14K
headquarters in Hong Kong
sent a 426 Double Flower Red-Pole (high level enforcer) to replace Chung Mon as the new dragon head. His name was Chan Yuen Muk aka Mo Dedong because he striked a resemblance to the Chinese Communist leader, Mao Zedong
. Chan was an aggressive and overbearing man who made it clear he wanted to control the drug trade in Amsterdam
. Not only the 5% cut of every drug deal was to be increased but all drug deals would have to go through the 14K
.
On the anniversary of Chung Mon's death, 3 March 1976, which was seven months after Chan's arrival in Amsterdam
, he went to the Yow Lee domino club co-owned by Johnny and his sworn brother, Mo Yong, who was also a 14K
member. On that day, Chan won a few million guilders on domino or pai kow from Mo Yong. Mo Yong contacted Johnny who was in Hong Kong
at that time and requested a hit because he was unable to pay. Subsequently, Mo Yong told Chan to come back on the following day to collect the cash. After Chan walked out of Yow Lee, he was gunned down along with his bodyguards by the Ah Kong commandos. In no time at all, Ah Kong moved into the areas once controlled by the 14K
and stifled the smaller independent dealers, comprising mainly Malaysians, Thais
, Indonesians
, Dutch
, Hongkongers and Europeans
. When the small-timers resisted, Ah Kong's actions were swift and brutal. First they resorted to torture, and then murder. Bodies were found on the canals of Amsterdam
. From then on, their reputation grew for not only being fearless but also ruthless; and they dominated Holland's heroin empire. Rules were set that whoever imported heroin into the country must hand them over to Ah Kong for distribution and Ah Kong would get a 20% cut, thus controlling the heroin pricing. Ah Kong's activities soon expanded to other European
cities and had their men stationed in major cities across Europe
.
and established the Hainan
gang. He continued to export large quantities of heroin into Europe
and his interests extended to the US. He was one boss known to be involved in the largest deals. During the 1970s, he imported multi tonnes of heroin into Europe
alone. Besides the illicit trade, he owned many legitimate businesses from high-end sex clubs or brothels, restaurants to travel agencies and into financing movie production in Hong Kong
where he was famously known to the underworld who had taken out Chan Yuen Muk. The incident did not deter his close relationship with the 14K
from which Chan was from. Roland was not yet going to give up on the past; he gave order to his men to take out Johnny. One of Roland’s men who was indebted to Johnny’s kindness in the past squealed. Johnny came up with an elaborate plan of being ‘dead’ so that he could carry out his operation with ease.
There was a time Roland was detained by the European authorities and the Singapore police was ready to get him extradited back to Singapore
to face a murder charge but it never happened. According to Lionel De Souza, a Singapore private detective who was with the Singapore's Criminal Investigation Department
then, he was one of three local police officers on standby to extradite Roland. However, the deal fell through because there was no ground for the European
authorities to detain him further.
On 30 August 1976, two Dutchmen were arrested at Bangkok
airport when they attempted to smuggle 138 kg of heroin in drums. They received long prison sentences but their boss, Johnny, escaped and returned to Europe
.
In 1977, law enforcement agencies from the west were ready to arrest Johnny at Bangkok
airport once he touched down. When he left the arrival hall, the law enforcement officers walked up to him and identified themselves but Johnny’s men responded with fire power, and a shootout ensued. Johnny managed to escape. He returned to Amsterdam
but was arrested and had 17 murder charges read to him. Miraculously, he was found not guilty due to lack of evidence. The shootout at Bangkok
airport to the court hearings in Europe
were all over the news from Asia
to Europe
. On 1 September 1977, Johnny was arrested again and sentenced to 10 years in a Swedish
prison. After his release, he affirmed Roland spoke to the authorities and 'fingered' him.
Roland moved to Copenhagen
later and permanently resided there. He married a Danish woman and took up Danish citizenship. Although some of his followers had good things to say about him, many had not any. Roland's reputation was anything but honest; and he was one known for ripping off his friends. When a well-respected See Tong member, Michael, visited Holland in the 1970s, Roland ordered one of his men to publicly humiliate the unarmed man. In the 1990s, Roland in turn was openly disrespected and humiliated by Henry, who was the Ah Kong boss then, in front of the associates from Taiwan
whom Roland had taken to visit Amsterdam
.
On the contrary, Johnny was seen as a very generous man. Many were ready to risk their lives for him and there were many who were ready to finance him if he so needed it.
(CNB) of Singapore
learned about the gang activities in 1977, undercover agents were immediately sent to Amsterdam
and other European
cities to probe the activities of Ah Kong. After months of investigations, they managed to compile a list of gang suspects and how they worked. Ah Kong members who returned to Singapore
on holiday were detained and interrogated. The information gathered was shared with other drug enforcement agencies in South-east Asia, Europe
and the United States
.
The Singapore
authorities found that the make-up of Ah Kong consist of Singapore
gangsters, seamen and fugitives, and there were four key leaders. They were a highly dangerous group of men who had no compunctions about killing to protect The Company's interests. Within itself, the Ah Kong functioned like a close-knit family, demanding uncompromising loyalty from all members. However, Ah Kong was never run along secret societies or triads lines at all. It was well-organized and run efficiently as a business entity with a distinct hierarchy.
Ah Kong had also diversified its business into restaurants, the diamond trade, travel agencies, nightclubs, gambling and buying Kung Fu films cheaply in Hong Kong
and making a lot of money screening them in Europe
, which also acted as fronts for their illegal business.
Ah Kong members were all well-off from the profits of the drug transactions and spent freely on women, travel, expensive clothes and drinks. As a rule, Ah Kong left its members to their own indulgences. But ironically enough, the only thing it would not tolerate was drug consumption by members.
The Ah Kong members were paid a basic monthly salary starting from 2000 guilders, and had their lodging and food taken care of. All the men, even the lowest ranking, were paid a yearly bonus from a “profit-sharing scheme” with the money from drug deals. Members were also given cars and a petrol allowance for which they had to produce receipts. There was a petty cash system where members could take money out to entertain their friends from Singapore
. Each year, the members received about 20000 guilders as “clothing allowance” and Italian
designer suits were highly recommended.
Singaporean
and Malaysian seamen who worked as couriers in European
cities were paid at least $2000 Singapore dollars a month with an additional $1000 Singapore dollars given to sent home to their families. Ah Kong members usually accompanied the couriers without them knowing it, to ensure that the heroin reached its destination without any problem. Drug couriers from Thailand
and Malaysia were paid $15000 Singapore dollars per trip and given an all-expenses paid holidays in Europe
. This sum, which could buy a house in Singapore
in the 1970s, was not easy to resist. With the millions of dollars Ah Kong made, they were able to grow their business very fast. In one operation, they used 70 couriers on a single flight to Amsterdam
.
One of the reasons for Ah Kong's success was that they were always one step ahead of the law. When Amsterdam
customs officers started checking on all Asian
passengers thoroughly, Ah Kong flew its couriers to 'safer' airports in London
, Oslo
, Copenhagen
, Paris
and Rome
. From these airports, the couriers travelled to Amsterdam
or Frankfurt
by train or taxi. They avoided airports in Germany
and Denmark
because these countries used narcotics detector dogs.
In late August, 1978, the Central Narcotics Bureau
(CNB) of Singapore
spearheaded an international operation that resulted in the seizure of about $10 million Singapore dollars worth of heroin and the arrest of more than 50 members of Ah Kong in Singapore
, Amsterdam
, Hamburg
, Copenhagen
, Frankfurt
, Kuala Lumpur
and Penang
. Among those detained were three of its four key leaders, which the authorities named Golden K, Ah Wee and Ah Li but the fourth, Ah Meng (Roland), escaped. The crackdown dealt a decisive blow to Ah Kong.
One of the Ah Kong members who was arrested cooperated with the authorities and provided information of the gang members' whereabouts was gunned down in Thailand
after his release.
.
The gang was later led by a new generation leader known as Siam-kia, which literally mean 'Siamese
Kid' in Hokkien
. Siam-kia had previously attained a university degree when he was in prison without trial in Singapore
. After taking over the leadership of Ah Kong, Siam-kia handpicked a team of elite enforcers and ran the gang in mafia
style. A casino was opened at Kerkstraat 23 in Amsterdam
.
There was an occasion when Siam-kia was disrespected by the 14K
boss known as Ngau Si. A clash between the two gangs erupted. Ah Kong members were not afraid although they were greatly outnumbered. They were already well known for being fearless and for their good fighting abilities. Most of them were trained boxers and/or military-trained, and some others were fugitives on the run from death row and had nothing to lose. The members swore that they would rather die gloriously on the streets than to face the gallows and the wrath of the Singapore law. Ah Kong defeated 14K easily and Ngau Si permanently retreated to London, United Kingdom.
Siam-kia was the most popular amongst all the Ah Kong bosses. Although he was the brain behind Ah Kong, he owed his success to the many capable people he had equipped himself with - accountants and lawyers, a brilliant underboss
and an army of courageous enforcers. Ah Kong became so prosperous that it owned more than a hundred racehorses in Singapore
and Malaysia. However, like Roland before him, Siam Kia too succumbed to gambling. He lost heavily on horse racing that led him to embezzle the Company’s fund. The underboss
of Ah Kong, Dennis aka Nor Du, who was not a former See Tong member, led a coup d'état
, and the allegations implicated Siam-kia of embezzlement which led to his exit.
Siam-kia was eventually "deported" to Thailand
where he went through difficult times. However, he learned to 'cook' MDMA/ecstasy and began producing them in his home laboratory, and he made a comeback in 1997. He operated in Southeast Asia
and supplied ecstasy and ketamine
to the Asia-Pacific
market. He was also involved in cocaine
and marijuana. He did met obstacles when he expanded his interests to Indonesia
when the local kingpin there known as Hong Li, took more than a hundred thousand units of ecstasy from him but did not make payment. Siam-kia openly announced a death contract on Hong Li (Hong Li is still alive and living in Canada
). Siam-kia had also incurred the dislike of some Ah Kong elders because he had betrayed a prominent Ah Kong old-timer, Jack, who had went into partnership with him. For this reason, when the two men met many years later in Bangkok
, Jack smashed a glass onto Siam Kia’s head.
In recent years, Siam-kia has made an enormous windfall from real estate investments and has gone into legitimate businesses in Cambodia
. He runs a casino there and enjoy a very 'good relationship' with the local government.
drug for the export markets. He was also involved in other drugs, soccer bookmaking, loansharking and legitimate businesses as well.
Dennis was a man with great leadership qualities and managed his organization well. He spoke Dutch
, English
, Italian
and several Chinese dialects. All his men and everyone in the Chinese community called him Ah Hia, which mean 'Big Brother' in Hokkien
. He was ruthless to his kind but a heroic figure to the common folk. He instructed his men to avoid attention and to be polite and courteous to the common people; and to make sure that nobody make trouble for the Chinese businesses in Holland. He once gave the order to execute the leader of a mainland Chinese
gang who had extorted from Chinese restaurants and gang-raped a female restaurant employee.
During his reign, he recruited many Malaysian Chinese
and some local Dutchmen. It was reported in the Singapore
press that a hundred men could be flown in from Malaysia if there is a need for any gang clash. The second-in-command, Henry, and third-in-command of Ah Kong were former See Tong members.
Under Dennis' leadership, Ah Kong became more influential than ever. Dennis was very well connected and had built a vast pool of contacts from Asia
to Europe
. He had business dealings with the Italian mafia and Yugoslavia
n crime syndicate, although many adversaries were created at the same time. When Johnny re-entered the illicit trade, he imported 800 kg of marijuana and handed them over to Dennis for distribution. However, the payment was not made in full. Dennis gave the reason that the quality was not good enough for the agreed price. His claim was made only after he had sold the pot not upon receiving the shipment. During a meeting in Bangkok
, Dennis insulted Johnny of being lacking in knowledge of dealing in the drug business and they ended with animosities. Dennis had received threats from his enemies and almost every competitor in the business wanted him dead. Therefore, he moved around with no less than 20 heavily armed bodyguards who carried bags packed with submachine guns and grenades, and who communicated with each other with walkie-talkies. He had also tightened security with surveillance cameras on the streets where the Ah Kong casino was located.
Ah Kong members were dressed in Versace
and wore diamond-studded gold Rolex
watches which became their trademark. However, Dennis chose to dress simply without any luxury accessories. Ah Kong soldiers would patrol the streets, airports and train stations and look out for 'China White' traffickers arriving from Asia and other European cities. If they spot any suspicious character they would check on their passports and search them thoroughly. Any one caught dealing behind Ah Kong's back would be punished and those who snitched will be awarded a cut from the drug seized. At one stage when the heroin problem was out of control, the head of the Dutch
police publicly announced his plan to eradicate the Singapore
drug cartel
. After learning this, Dennis sent a C-4
(plastic explosive) to the police chief's home and the police chief was forced to relocate his entire family to a military base. Subsequently, the police chief sent his subordinate to have a meeting with Henry to make peace with Ah Kong.
-wielding men on motorbikes. The killing was headline news on the front of all the major newspapers in Holland. The female friend’s family was heavily in debts but a few days before the assassination, the debts were mysteriously cleared. Siam-kia announced that he was the one who had ordered the hit. However, some people from the inner-circle discredited his claim and some said that the leader of the Sin Ma gang had a part in the conspiracy.
Henry, the second-in-command of Ah Kong, was automatically promoted to become the new leader. Henry had risen from the rank of an enforcer and had limited connections. He did not enjoy a good relationship with his peers and had little support from them, thus rendering him rather useless. He was fond of gambling at the casinos and loved to go to karaokes. He did not show much enthusiasm in seeking revenge for his predecessor, Dennis. The Ah Kong based in Thailand
, in charge of transporting the drugs to Europe
, refused to send shipments as a protest of his leadership. The Company’s fund was drained and Ah Kong slowly disbanded.
In 1998, Johnny was released from prison for the second time. He had been framed by a small-time Malaysian heroin trafficker and spent more than four years in a Zurich
prison. He returned to Holland and went into new trades: cocaine
, 4-methylaminorex/ice and ecstasy; and his operations went beyond Europe
to as far as the Asia-Pacific
. He associated with the Russians
and team up with his long-time close friend, a semi-retired Dutch
kingpin, who was the ex-boss of the Dutch drug lord, Klaas Bruinsma
. Johnny was doing well and he took Henry in when the latter was in difficult times.
In 1999, Johnny was found dead, at the age of 53, in a hotel room in Hong Kong
after a huge cocaine shipment was busted. The Hong Kong police concluded that he had committed suicide; and the Hong Kong
newspaper reported that he had stabbed himself. The day before Johnny died, he had handed over his possessions and identification documents to a close friend. Rumours were that he was not able to answer for the failed shipment to the people who had entrusted him and death was apparently his only answer.
Henry joined Jack’s crew, the Ah Kong old-timer who was in bad term with Siam-kia, until Jack died of a heart attack.
In 2009, Roland and his Singaporean friend, known as Ah M, who had flew to the Danish
capital to celebrate his 61st birthday party was shot by his own man, a Vietnamese
called Nguyen Phi Hung. The attack took place after Roland had closed his popular Restaurant Bali at Kongens Nytorv Square, the heart of Copenhagen's
shopping district. He was shot in the shoulder but his friend was shot in the chest and was in a critical condition. Danish
media reported that about 40 young people turned up at the hospital after the two men were admitted in an apparent show of support.
Danish police have stated that the shooting was over a "personal matter" between the gunman and Roland, and that there was a brief exchange between the two men before the shooting. Roland was described as the most powerful Chinese businessman in Denmark
by Danish tabloid, Ekstra Bladet
. Roland had previously been questioned by police in connection with several serious crimes, including drug dealing, blackmail and murder, according to Danish news reports.
Roland owns Restaurant Bali, a restaurant serving Indonesian
and Malaysian food, and a few other restaurants in Copenhagen
. The Danish branch of the Hells Angels
biker gang, whose activities revolve around drugs and prostitution, had held parties at the restaurant.
Henry returned to Singapore
. He had contracted cancer and died in March 2010 at the age of 58. He jumped to his death because he was unable to tolerate the pain of his illness. During Henry's prime, he was a fearsome enforcer respected by many but his last days in Amsterdam
was a sad story. He was beaten up by the Mainland Chinese
gang while he was weak and ailing and had no one by his side. He took the humiliation as he was helpless. He realized it was all over for him and left the city he once shined.
He was the last official Ah Kong boss.
, Asia
, and Australia
; and some others have joined other groups.
Over the years, there have been many reports of Ah Kong in the press but not all have been accurate.
The Trail of the Triads: An Investigation into International crime by Fenton S. Bresler
Slaying the Dragon by Tan Ooi Boon
The Triads as Business by Chu Yiu Kong
International Triad Movements by Chu Yiu Kong
The Dragon Syndicates - The Global Phenomenon of the Triads by Martin Booth
Warlords of Crime: Chinese secret societies - The new Mafia by Gerald L. Posner
Transnational organized crime and International security by Mats R. Berdal, Monica Serrano
Billion $$$ high by Peter L. Appleton, Doug Clark
Killing Fields Amsterdam by S. Brown
blockbuster Mandarin television drama series, "Brave New World" (新阿郎), which starred Hong Kong actor, Alex Man
and Fann Wong
. The series was filmed in Singapore and Holland.
Organized crime
Organized crime or criminal organizations are transnational, national, or local groupings of highly centralized enterprises run by criminals for the purpose of engaging in illegal activity, most commonly for monetary profit. Some criminal organizations, such as terrorist organizations, are...
gang involved in its main trade of drugs and used to control the European
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
heroin trade in the 1970s to 1990s. It was one of the world's largest drug syndicates with its origin from Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
but was based in the drug capital of the world, Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
, Holland and Bangkok
Bangkok
Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...
, Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
where they received their drug supplies. The production of heroin was at an area known as the Golden Triangle
Golden Triangle (Southeast Asia)
The Golden Triangle is one of Asia's two main illicit opium-producing areas. It is an area of around that overlaps the mountains of four countries of Southeast Asia: Burma, Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand. Along with Afghanistan in the Golden Crescent and Pakistan, it has been one of the most...
formed by Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
, Laos
Laos
Laos Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a landlocked country in Southeast Asia, bordered by Burma and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south and Thailand to the west...
and Myanmar
Myanmar
Burma , officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar , is a country in Southeast Asia. Burma is bordered by China on the northeast, Laos on the east, Thailand on the southeast, Bangladesh on the west, India on the northwest, the Bay of Bengal to the southwest, and the Andaman Sea on the south....
. Holland is a haven for criminals because of their liberal laws and a gateway to one of the largest drug consumer markets in the world, Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. Ah Kong was not a triad but a fearsome organized crime
Organized crime
Organized crime or criminal organizations are transnational, national, or local groupings of highly centralized enterprises run by criminals for the purpose of engaging in illegal activity, most commonly for monetary profit. Some criminal organizations, such as terrorist organizations, are...
gang that was renowned all over Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
and Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
.
Although Ah Kong was based in Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
and Bangkok
Bangkok
Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...
, it had operations in other major European
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
cities and the Asia-Pacific
Asia-Pacific
Asia-Pacific or Asia Pacific is the part of the world in or near the Western Pacific Ocean...
. Ah Kong, which means 'The Company' or short for kongsi
Kongsi
Kongsi or "clan halls", are benevolent organizations of popular origin found among overseas Chinese communities for individuals with the same surname. This type of social practice arose, it is held, several centuries ago in China...
in Hokkien
Hokkien
Hokkien is a Hokkien word corresponding to Standard Chinese "Fujian". It may refer to:* Hokkien dialect, a dialect of Min Nan Chinese spoken in Southern Fujian , Taiwan, South-east Asia, and elsewhere....
had never been based in Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
. It was also known to have had Malaysian Chinese
Malaysian Chinese
Malaysian Chinese is a Malaysian of Chinese origin. Most are descendants of Chinese who arrived between the fifteenth and the mid-twentieth centuries. Within Malaysia, they are usually simply referred to as "Chinese" in all languages. The term Chinese Malaysian is also sometimes used to refer to...
members and had Thai
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
and Indonesian
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
connections, and over the years they had built strong ties with the infamous Penang
Penang
Penang is a state in Malaysia and the name of its constituent island, located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia by the Strait of Malacca. It is bordered by Kedah in the north and east, and Perak in the south. Penang is the second smallest Malaysian state in area after Perlis, and the...
-based Sio Sam Ong
Sio Sam Ong
Sio Sam Ong , literally means Three Little Emperors is a leading Chinese triad in Malaysia; with a strong presence in the north . Mainly based in Penang, it is widely considered to be one of the most powerful triads in the country...
. Most of the members of Ah Kong were Chinese Singaporeans and spoke Hokkien
Hokkien
Hokkien is a Hokkien word corresponding to Standard Chinese "Fujian". It may refer to:* Hokkien dialect, a dialect of Min Nan Chinese spoken in Southern Fujian , Taiwan, South-east Asia, and elsewhere....
although they were overseas-based. It was formed when several members of See Tong (which mean buddies or a group of close friends) killed and seriously injured members of their rival gang in a gang clash, and escaped to Holland. While in Holland, the notorious gang received more members joining them. These new members had had military training that was acquired while doing their rigorous National Service
National Service in Singapore
Conscription in Singapore, called National Service , requires all male Singaporean citizens and second-generation permanent residents who have reached the age of 18 to enrol in the military...
stint.
After the assassination of the Ah Kong boss in 1997, they began to lose their influence to the Sin Ma gang based in Rotterdam
Rotterdam
Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre...
led by a Singaporean fugitive wanted for first-degree murder with firearm in the 1980s. The last official Ah Kong boss died in March 2010.
Singapore
Like all places with significant ChineseChinese people
The term Chinese people may refer to any of the following:*People with Han Chinese ethnicity ....
population, secret societies
Secret societies in Singapore
Secret societies in Singapore are generally Chinese in origin. They have been largely eradicated as a security issue in the city state. However many smaller groups remain today which attempt to mimic societies of the past...
and gangs were part and parcel of everyday life which the local populace in Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
had to live with. The gangs' activities, which included extortions, illegal gambling, prostitution, drug dealing, loansharking (illegal moneylending), armed robberies and kidnapping, were a major menace in Singapore, especially in the 1950s to the 1970s. Gang wars that resulted in deaths and serious injuries, even to common bystanders, were a common sight in those days.
In 1954, the Commissioner of Police in Singapore revealed that there were 368 known secret societies in Singapore. The police had kept the records of 20000 members of secret societies, of which 6500 were active members. This was out of a population of less than two million people then.
To eradicate the secret societies, the Criminal Law (Temporary Provisions) Act was used by the Singapore government whereby suspected criminals could be arrested without evidence or warrant, and detained indefinitely without the detainee ever being charged with a crime or tried in a court of law.
Origin
On the night of October 23, 1969, Roland aka Hylam-kia, which mean Hainanese Kid in HokkienHokkien
Hokkien is a Hokkien word corresponding to Standard Chinese "Fujian". It may refer to:* Hokkien dialect, a dialect of Min Nan Chinese spoken in Southern Fujian , Taiwan, South-east Asia, and elsewhere....
and about ten of his fellow gang members from See Tong had armed themselves with machetes to attack two members of their rival gang, Pek Kim Leng (White Golden Dragon). The members of See Tong were in two cars and had trailed and cornered the car of their rival gang members at the junction of Bras Basah Road
Bras Basah Road
Bras Basah Road is a one-way road in Singapore in the planning areas of Museum and Downtown Core. The road starts at the junction of Orchard Road and Handy Road, at the ERP gantry towards the Central Business District, and ends at the junction of Nicoll Highway and Raffles Boulevard which then...
and North Bridge Road
North Bridge Road
North Bridge Road is a road in Singapore north of Singapore River, that starts at the junction of Crawford Street and ends before Elgin Bridge, which the road becomes South Bridge Road. The road is one of the oldest roads in Singapore and was outlined in Raffles' 1822 Town Plan...
. One of the rival gang members, who were also armed, was killed and the other seriously injured during the attack.
The clash had arisen from a previous dispute between See Tong and Pek Kim Leng gang members in a bar. Negotiation held later to settle the dispute was broken down. A 'curfew' between the two gangs ensued whereby gang members would attack at the sight of each other.
Roland and many of his fellow gang members were from a Hainanese village at Upper Serangoon, where the community was close-knit and included hardened fugitives and seamen. With the help of See Tong, Roland and some of his 'brothers' managed to escape to Malaysia and then to Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
, Holland. Most of the gang members involved in the attack were arrested and were jailed without trial.
Amsterdam
AmsterdamAmsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
, the port and capital city of Holland, already had a thriving Chinese community then. The earlier Chinese immigrations were from the former Dutch colonies of Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
and Surinam. This was followed by Hongkongers and smaller numbers of Chinese from Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
and Malaysia. Many opened restaurants or work as chefs or restaurant workers. Others were gang members or fugitives.
Holland's relaxed attitude towards drugs not only had created a domestic addiction problem, but also encouraged foreign narcotics merchants, especially the Chinese, to move into the country. Dutch law made it extremely difficult for the police to cope with narcotics traffic. A trafficker must be in physical possession of illegal drugs to be prosecuted. Sting operations and plea bargains are forbidden. Wiretaps cannot be used in direct evidence. Sentences are short and jails are as comfortable as college campuses.
Upon reaching Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
, Roland and his brethren were received and taken care of by a person known as Johnny, or Big Johnny as some would like to call him. Johnny was the godson
Godson
Loongson is a family of general-purpose MIPS-compatible CPUs developed at the Institute of Computing Technology , Chinese Academy of Sciences in the People's Republic of China. The chief architect is Professor Hu Weiwu....
of Roland's mother. He was not a See Tong member but a seaman from Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
who had resided in Holland. Johnny was a man with many connections.
Roland and his brethren, who had very little money with them, saw how members of Hong Kong's
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
infamous 14K
14K Triad
The 14K is a Triad group based in Hong Kong but active internationally. It is the second largest Triad group in the world with around 20,000 members split into thirty subgroups. They are the main rival of the Sun Yee On, which is the largest Triad. The 14K are responsible for large-scale drug...
triad were doing a thriving drug trade. In the early 1970s, drug addiction in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
was growing at an alarming rate and heroin was in great demand. Very soon, Roland partnered Johnny and they founded Ah Kong but operated under the See Tong flag. It was later when more non-See Tong members joined them did they stopped using it and had a name change. Roland and his men operated as the muscles and Johnny imported the heroin. With only about 10 men altogether, Ah Kong was a very small outfit compared to the already well-established Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
triads like 14K
14K Triad
The 14K is a Triad group based in Hong Kong but active internationally. It is the second largest Triad group in the world with around 20,000 members split into thirty subgroups. They are the main rival of the Sun Yee On, which is the largest Triad. The 14K are responsible for large-scale drug...
, Wo Shing Wo
Wo Shing Wo
Wo Shing Wo is the original Wo Group Triad, and it is the triad with longest tradition in Hong Kong.Wo Shing Wo was established in Sham Shui Po in 1930 and, while maintaining its traditional stronghold in Tsuen Wan, it has extended its influence to Tsim Sha Tsui and Mong Kok.It also operates in...
and Sun Yee On
Sun Yee On
Sun Yee On is one of the leading triads in Hong Kong and Mainland China, with the most members – more than 40,000 – worldwide....
that had hundreds of members at any one time.
Ah Kong members then did not have firearms but often armed themselves with knives. An incident that marked their arrival to the Dutch
Dutch people
The Dutch people are an ethnic group native to the Netherlands. They share a common culture and speak the Dutch language. Dutch people and their descendants are found in migrant communities worldwide, notably in Suriname, Chile, Brazil, Canada, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, and the United...
underworld as fearless was when two members of Ah Kong (Johnny and his lieutenant) went to settle a dispute with the Wo Shing Wo
Wo Shing Wo
Wo Shing Wo is the original Wo Group Triad, and it is the triad with longest tradition in Hong Kong.Wo Shing Wo was established in Sham Shui Po in 1930 and, while maintaining its traditional stronghold in Tsuen Wan, it has extended its influence to Tsim Sha Tsui and Mong Kok.It also operates in...
triad in Rotterdam
Rotterdam
Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre...
. Johnny's lieutenant severed the rival gang boss’s arm with a wakizashi
Wakizashi
The is one of the traditional Japanese swords worn by the samurai class in feudal Japan.-Description:...
when the latter became hostile and tried to pull out a gun. They escaped but not without a hail of bullets that followed. In another incident, Ah Kong members went to settle a dispute with the 14K
14K Triad
The 14K is a Triad group based in Hong Kong but active internationally. It is the second largest Triad group in the world with around 20,000 members split into thirty subgroups. They are the main rival of the Sun Yee On, which is the largest Triad. The 14K are responsible for large-scale drug...
at a restaurant in Chinatown
Chinatown
A Chinatown is an ethnic enclave of overseas Chinese people, although it is often generalized to include various Southeast Asian people. Chinatowns exist throughout the world, including East Asia, Southeast Asia, the Americas, Australasia, and Europe. Binondo's Chinatown located in Manila,...
. They entered the restaurant and yelled ‘Who's 14K?’. A young man stood up and replied he was and they shot him - killing him on the spot. The man who pulled the trigger was a Malaysian Chinese
Malaysian Chinese
Malaysian Chinese is a Malaysian of Chinese origin. Most are descendants of Chinese who arrived between the fifteenth and the mid-twentieth centuries. Within Malaysia, they are usually simply referred to as "Chinese" in all languages. The term Chinese Malaysian is also sometimes used to refer to...
fugitive known as Tony. Although they were small in numbers but their actions had earned them respect and fear; and their reputation helped them to expand their influence.
By 1973, Ah Kong's dealings had grown and they had become a major player in the heroin trade.
14K
The man in control of the heroin trade then was the first Chinese Godfather in EuropeEurope
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, Chung Mon aka Unicorn of the 14K
14K Triad
The 14K is a Triad group based in Hong Kong but active internationally. It is the second largest Triad group in the world with around 20,000 members split into thirty subgroups. They are the main rival of the Sun Yee On, which is the largest Triad. The 14K are responsible for large-scale drug...
. He was a Hakka
Hakka
The Hakka , sometimes Hakka Han, are Han Chinese who speak the Hakka language and have links to the provincial areas of Guangdong, Jiangxi, Guangxi, Sichuan, Hunan and Fujian in China....
born in Bao'an (present Shenzhen
Shenzhen
Shenzhen is a major city in the south of Southern China's Guangdong Province, situated immediately north of Hong Kong. The area became China's first—and one of the most successful—Special Economic Zones...
), China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. He was the Chairman of the Overseas Chinese Association in Holland. Not only did Chung Mon did a lot of work for charity and was decorated by the Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
government, he was connected with the highest level of the Kuomingtang government in Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
as well. Chung Mon took a 5 percent cut for every drug deal. He was questioned by the police on a number of occasions because of his role in the heroin world, but was released because he had a friend with the police who had some influence. When the Chinese community erupted in a series of gunfights as rival gangs lined up on opposite sides of narrow streets and opened fire on one another with shotguns, the Dutch police went to Chung Mon for help and he gave them a list of most of his competitors.
On 3 March 1975, three men approached Chung Mon as he stepped towards his Mercedes outside his office, and fired ten bullets into the Chinese Godfather. It is believed that the three men, who were never arrested, were sent by Ng Sik-ho aka Limpy Ho, a major Chiuchow/Teochew
Teochew people
The Chaozhou people are Han people, native to the Chaoshan region of eastern Guangdong province of China who speak the Teochew dialect. Today, most Teochew people live outside China in Southeast Asia especially in Singapore, Thailand, and Malaysia. They can also be found almost anywhere in the...
drug lord in Hong Kong who was a rival of the 14K
14K Triad
The 14K is a Triad group based in Hong Kong but active internationally. It is the second largest Triad group in the world with around 20,000 members split into thirty subgroups. They are the main rival of the Sun Yee On, which is the largest Triad. The 14K are responsible for large-scale drug...
. (In 1991, a Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
film, "To Be Number One"
To Be Number One (film)
To Be Number One is a 1991 Hong Kong gangster film directed by Poon Man-kit, and produced by Johnny Mak. The film is based on the rise and fall of a real life gangster . The protagnist Ho begins the story as a poor Teochew refugee from Communist China, and leads his men to become paws of corrupted...
, that depicted the life of Limpy Ho was made.)
Within months, the 14K
14K Triad
The 14K is a Triad group based in Hong Kong but active internationally. It is the second largest Triad group in the world with around 20,000 members split into thirty subgroups. They are the main rival of the Sun Yee On, which is the largest Triad. The 14K are responsible for large-scale drug...
headquarters in Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
sent a 426 Double Flower Red-Pole (high level enforcer) to replace Chung Mon as the new dragon head. His name was Chan Yuen Muk aka Mo Dedong because he striked a resemblance to the Chinese Communist leader, Mao Zedong
Mao Zedong
Mao Zedong, also transliterated as Mao Tse-tung , and commonly referred to as Chairman Mao , was a Chinese Communist revolutionary, guerrilla warfare strategist, Marxist political philosopher, and leader of the Chinese Revolution...
. Chan was an aggressive and overbearing man who made it clear he wanted to control the drug trade in Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
. Not only the 5% cut of every drug deal was to be increased but all drug deals would have to go through the 14K
14K Triad
The 14K is a Triad group based in Hong Kong but active internationally. It is the second largest Triad group in the world with around 20,000 members split into thirty subgroups. They are the main rival of the Sun Yee On, which is the largest Triad. The 14K are responsible for large-scale drug...
.
On the anniversary of Chung Mon's death, 3 March 1976, which was seven months after Chan's arrival in Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
, he went to the Yow Lee domino club co-owned by Johnny and his sworn brother, Mo Yong, who was also a 14K
14K Triad
The 14K is a Triad group based in Hong Kong but active internationally. It is the second largest Triad group in the world with around 20,000 members split into thirty subgroups. They are the main rival of the Sun Yee On, which is the largest Triad. The 14K are responsible for large-scale drug...
member. On that day, Chan won a few million guilders on domino or pai kow from Mo Yong. Mo Yong contacted Johnny who was in Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
at that time and requested a hit because he was unable to pay. Subsequently, Mo Yong told Chan to come back on the following day to collect the cash. After Chan walked out of Yow Lee, he was gunned down along with his bodyguards by the Ah Kong commandos. In no time at all, Ah Kong moved into the areas once controlled by the 14K
14K Triad
The 14K is a Triad group based in Hong Kong but active internationally. It is the second largest Triad group in the world with around 20,000 members split into thirty subgroups. They are the main rival of the Sun Yee On, which is the largest Triad. The 14K are responsible for large-scale drug...
and stifled the smaller independent dealers, comprising mainly Malaysians, Thais
Thai people
The Thai people, or Siamese, are the main ethnic group of Thailand and are part of the larger Tai ethnolinguistic peoples found in Thailand and adjacent countries in Southeast Asia as well as southern China. Their language is the Thai language, which is classified as part of the Kradai family of...
, Indonesians
Indonesians
Indonesians may be:*any nation or ethnic group of Indonesia**see Demographics of Indonesia**see Overseas Indonesians**see Ethnic groups in Indonesia**see Native Indonesians...
, Dutch
Dutch people
The Dutch people are an ethnic group native to the Netherlands. They share a common culture and speak the Dutch language. Dutch people and their descendants are found in migrant communities worldwide, notably in Suriname, Chile, Brazil, Canada, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, and the United...
, Hongkongers and Europeans
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. When the small-timers resisted, Ah Kong's actions were swift and brutal. First they resorted to torture, and then murder. Bodies were found on the canals of Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
. From then on, their reputation grew for not only being fearless but also ruthless; and they dominated Holland's heroin empire. Rules were set that whoever imported heroin into the country must hand them over to Ah Kong for distribution and Ah Kong would get a 20% cut, thus controlling the heroin pricing. Ah Kong's activities soon expanded to other European
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
cities and had their men stationed in major cities across Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
.
Split
Roland, a recalcitrant and habitual gambler, started embezzling the Company’s fund. If the accountant would not collaborate with him, he would be replaced. Eventually, Roland’s insidious ways were exposed that led to the breaking up between Johnny and him. Johnny went to BangkokBangkok
Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...
and established the Hainan
Hainan
Hainan is the smallest province of the People's Republic of China . Although the province comprises some two hundred islands scattered among three archipelagos off the southern coast, of its land mass is Hainan Island , from which the province takes its name...
gang. He continued to export large quantities of heroin into Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and his interests extended to the US. He was one boss known to be involved in the largest deals. During the 1970s, he imported multi tonnes of heroin into Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
alone. Besides the illicit trade, he owned many legitimate businesses from high-end sex clubs or brothels, restaurants to travel agencies and into financing movie production in Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
where he was famously known to the underworld who had taken out Chan Yuen Muk. The incident did not deter his close relationship with the 14K
14K Triad
The 14K is a Triad group based in Hong Kong but active internationally. It is the second largest Triad group in the world with around 20,000 members split into thirty subgroups. They are the main rival of the Sun Yee On, which is the largest Triad. The 14K are responsible for large-scale drug...
from which Chan was from. Roland was not yet going to give up on the past; he gave order to his men to take out Johnny. One of Roland’s men who was indebted to Johnny’s kindness in the past squealed. Johnny came up with an elaborate plan of being ‘dead’ so that he could carry out his operation with ease.
There was a time Roland was detained by the European authorities and the Singapore police was ready to get him extradited back to Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
to face a murder charge but it never happened. According to Lionel De Souza, a Singapore private detective who was with the Singapore's Criminal Investigation Department
Criminal Investigation Department
The Crime Investigation Department is the branch of all Territorial police forces within the British Police and many other Commonwealth police forces, to which plain clothes detectives belong. It is thus distinct from the Uniformed Branch and the Special Branch.The Metropolitan Police Service CID,...
then, he was one of three local police officers on standby to extradite Roland. However, the deal fell through because there was no ground for the European
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
authorities to detain him further.
On 30 August 1976, two Dutchmen were arrested at Bangkok
Bangkok
Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...
airport when they attempted to smuggle 138 kg of heroin in drums. They received long prison sentences but their boss, Johnny, escaped and returned to Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
.
In 1977, law enforcement agencies from the west were ready to arrest Johnny at Bangkok
Bangkok
Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...
airport once he touched down. When he left the arrival hall, the law enforcement officers walked up to him and identified themselves but Johnny’s men responded with fire power, and a shootout ensued. Johnny managed to escape. He returned to Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
but was arrested and had 17 murder charges read to him. Miraculously, he was found not guilty due to lack of evidence. The shootout at Bangkok
Bangkok
Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...
airport to the court hearings in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
were all over the news from Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
to Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. On 1 September 1977, Johnny was arrested again and sentenced to 10 years in a Swedish
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
prison. After his release, he affirmed Roland spoke to the authorities and 'fingered' him.
Roland moved to Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
later and permanently resided there. He married a Danish woman and took up Danish citizenship. Although some of his followers had good things to say about him, many had not any. Roland's reputation was anything but honest; and he was one known for ripping off his friends. When a well-respected See Tong member, Michael, visited Holland in the 1970s, Roland ordered one of his men to publicly humiliate the unarmed man. In the 1990s, Roland in turn was openly disrespected and humiliated by Henry, who was the Ah Kong boss then, in front of the associates from Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
whom Roland had taken to visit Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
.
On the contrary, Johnny was seen as a very generous man. Many were ready to risk their lives for him and there were many who were ready to finance him if he so needed it.
Organization
Ah Kong thrived and grew until early 1978. When the Central Narcotics BureauCentral Narcotics Bureau
The Central Narcotics Bureau of Singapore was established in 1971 as the primary drug enforcement agency entrusted with the responsibilities of coordinating all matters pertaining to drug eradication...
(CNB) of Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
learned about the gang activities in 1977, undercover agents were immediately sent to Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
and other European
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
cities to probe the activities of Ah Kong. After months of investigations, they managed to compile a list of gang suspects and how they worked. Ah Kong members who returned to Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
on holiday were detained and interrogated. The information gathered was shared with other drug enforcement agencies in South-east Asia, Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
The Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
authorities found that the make-up of Ah Kong consist of Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
gangsters, seamen and fugitives, and there were four key leaders. They were a highly dangerous group of men who had no compunctions about killing to protect The Company's interests. Within itself, the Ah Kong functioned like a close-knit family, demanding uncompromising loyalty from all members. However, Ah Kong was never run along secret societies or triads lines at all. It was well-organized and run efficiently as a business entity with a distinct hierarchy.
Ah Kong had also diversified its business into restaurants, the diamond trade, travel agencies, nightclubs, gambling and buying Kung Fu films cheaply in Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
and making a lot of money screening them in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, which also acted as fronts for their illegal business.
Ah Kong members were all well-off from the profits of the drug transactions and spent freely on women, travel, expensive clothes and drinks. As a rule, Ah Kong left its members to their own indulgences. But ironically enough, the only thing it would not tolerate was drug consumption by members.
The Ah Kong members were paid a basic monthly salary starting from 2000 guilders, and had their lodging and food taken care of. All the men, even the lowest ranking, were paid a yearly bonus from a “profit-sharing scheme” with the money from drug deals. Members were also given cars and a petrol allowance for which they had to produce receipts. There was a petty cash system where members could take money out to entertain their friends from Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
. Each year, the members received about 20000 guilders as “clothing allowance” and Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
designer suits were highly recommended.
Singaporean
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
and Malaysian seamen who worked as couriers in European
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
cities were paid at least $2000 Singapore dollars a month with an additional $1000 Singapore dollars given to sent home to their families. Ah Kong members usually accompanied the couriers without them knowing it, to ensure that the heroin reached its destination without any problem. Drug couriers from Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
and Malaysia were paid $15000 Singapore dollars per trip and given an all-expenses paid holidays in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. This sum, which could buy a house in Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
in the 1970s, was not easy to resist. With the millions of dollars Ah Kong made, they were able to grow their business very fast. In one operation, they used 70 couriers on a single flight to Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
.
One of the reasons for Ah Kong's success was that they were always one step ahead of the law. When Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
customs officers started checking on all Asian
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
passengers thoroughly, Ah Kong flew its couriers to 'safer' airports in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
, Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
, Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
and Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
. From these airports, the couriers travelled to Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
or Frankfurt
Frankfurt
Frankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2010 population of 688,249. The urban area had an estimated population of 2,300,000 in 2010...
by train or taxi. They avoided airports in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
because these countries used narcotics detector dogs.
In late August, 1978, the Central Narcotics Bureau
Central Narcotics Bureau
The Central Narcotics Bureau of Singapore was established in 1971 as the primary drug enforcement agency entrusted with the responsibilities of coordinating all matters pertaining to drug eradication...
(CNB) of Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
spearheaded an international operation that resulted in the seizure of about $10 million Singapore dollars worth of heroin and the arrest of more than 50 members of Ah Kong in Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
, Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
, Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
, Frankfurt
Frankfurt
Frankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2010 population of 688,249. The urban area had an estimated population of 2,300,000 in 2010...
, Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur is the capital and the second largest city in Malaysia by population. The city proper, making up an area of , has a population of 1.4 million as of 2010. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.2 million...
and Penang
Penang
Penang is a state in Malaysia and the name of its constituent island, located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia by the Strait of Malacca. It is bordered by Kedah in the north and east, and Perak in the south. Penang is the second smallest Malaysian state in area after Perlis, and the...
. Among those detained were three of its four key leaders, which the authorities named Golden K, Ah Wee and Ah Li but the fourth, Ah Meng (Roland), escaped. The crackdown dealt a decisive blow to Ah Kong.
One of the Ah Kong members who was arrested cooperated with the authorities and provided information of the gang members' whereabouts was gunned down in Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
after his release.
1980s
Till the early 1980s, the leader of Ah Kong was Benson until he was jailed without trial in SingaporeSingapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
.
The gang was later led by a new generation leader known as Siam-kia, which literally mean 'Siamese
Thai people
The Thai people, or Siamese, are the main ethnic group of Thailand and are part of the larger Tai ethnolinguistic peoples found in Thailand and adjacent countries in Southeast Asia as well as southern China. Their language is the Thai language, which is classified as part of the Kradai family of...
Kid' in Hokkien
Hokkien
Hokkien is a Hokkien word corresponding to Standard Chinese "Fujian". It may refer to:* Hokkien dialect, a dialect of Min Nan Chinese spoken in Southern Fujian , Taiwan, South-east Asia, and elsewhere....
. Siam-kia had previously attained a university degree when he was in prison without trial in Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
. After taking over the leadership of Ah Kong, Siam-kia handpicked a team of elite enforcers and ran the gang in mafia
Mafia
The Mafia is a criminal syndicate that emerged in the mid-nineteenth century in Sicily, Italy. It is a loose association of criminal groups that share a common organizational structure and code of conduct, and whose common enterprise is protection racketeering...
style. A casino was opened at Kerkstraat 23 in Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
.
There was an occasion when Siam-kia was disrespected by the 14K
14K Triad
The 14K is a Triad group based in Hong Kong but active internationally. It is the second largest Triad group in the world with around 20,000 members split into thirty subgroups. They are the main rival of the Sun Yee On, which is the largest Triad. The 14K are responsible for large-scale drug...
boss known as Ngau Si. A clash between the two gangs erupted. Ah Kong members were not afraid although they were greatly outnumbered. They were already well known for being fearless and for their good fighting abilities. Most of them were trained boxers and/or military-trained, and some others were fugitives on the run from death row and had nothing to lose. The members swore that they would rather die gloriously on the streets than to face the gallows and the wrath of the Singapore law. Ah Kong defeated 14K easily and Ngau Si permanently retreated to London, United Kingdom.
Siam-kia was the most popular amongst all the Ah Kong bosses. Although he was the brain behind Ah Kong, he owed his success to the many capable people he had equipped himself with - accountants and lawyers, a brilliant underboss
Underboss
Underboss is a position within the leadership structure of Sicilian and American Mafia crime families. The underboss is second in command to the boss...
and an army of courageous enforcers. Ah Kong became so prosperous that it owned more than a hundred racehorses in Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
and Malaysia. However, like Roland before him, Siam Kia too succumbed to gambling. He lost heavily on horse racing that led him to embezzle the Company’s fund. The underboss
Underboss
Underboss is a position within the leadership structure of Sicilian and American Mafia crime families. The underboss is second in command to the boss...
of Ah Kong, Dennis aka Nor Du, who was not a former See Tong member, led a coup d'état
Coup d'état
A coup d'état state, literally: strike/blow of state)—also known as a coup, putsch, and overthrow—is the sudden, extrajudicial deposition of a government, usually by a small group of the existing state establishment—typically the military—to replace the deposed government with another body; either...
, and the allegations implicated Siam-kia of embezzlement which led to his exit.
Siam-kia was eventually "deported" to Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
where he went through difficult times. However, he learned to 'cook' MDMA/ecstasy and began producing them in his home laboratory, and he made a comeback in 1997. He operated in Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
and supplied ecstasy and ketamine
Ketamine
Ketamine is a drug used in human and veterinary medicine. Its hydrochloride salt is sold as Ketanest, Ketaset, and Ketalar. Pharmacologically, ketamine is classified as an NMDA receptor antagonist...
to the Asia-Pacific
Asia-Pacific
Asia-Pacific or Asia Pacific is the part of the world in or near the Western Pacific Ocean...
market. He was also involved in cocaine
Cocaine
Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...
and marijuana. He did met obstacles when he expanded his interests to Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
when the local kingpin there known as Hong Li, took more than a hundred thousand units of ecstasy from him but did not make payment. Siam-kia openly announced a death contract on Hong Li (Hong Li is still alive and living in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
). Siam-kia had also incurred the dislike of some Ah Kong elders because he had betrayed a prominent Ah Kong old-timer, Jack, who had went into partnership with him. For this reason, when the two men met many years later in Bangkok
Bangkok
Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...
, Jack smashed a glass onto Siam Kia’s head.
In recent years, Siam-kia has made an enormous windfall from real estate investments and has gone into legitimate businesses in Cambodia
Cambodia
Cambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...
. He runs a casino there and enjoy a very 'good relationship' with the local government.
1990s
After deposing Siam-kia, Dennis ruled the Chinese underworld in Holland with an iron-fist. He was known as the most feared and most powerful Ah Kong boss. During this time, he saw the rising popularity of ecstasy and he began to import Piperonylmethylketone (PMK), the raw material used to mass produce the psychedelicPsychedelic
The term psychedelic is derived from the Greek words ψυχή and δηλοῦν , translating to "soul-manifesting". A psychedelic experience is characterized by the striking perception of aspects of one's mind previously unknown, or by the creative exuberance of the mind liberated from its ostensibly...
drug for the export markets. He was also involved in other drugs, soccer bookmaking, loansharking and legitimate businesses as well.
Dennis was a man with great leadership qualities and managed his organization well. He spoke Dutch
Dutch language
Dutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...
, English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
and several Chinese dialects. All his men and everyone in the Chinese community called him Ah Hia, which mean 'Big Brother' in Hokkien
Hokkien
Hokkien is a Hokkien word corresponding to Standard Chinese "Fujian". It may refer to:* Hokkien dialect, a dialect of Min Nan Chinese spoken in Southern Fujian , Taiwan, South-east Asia, and elsewhere....
. He was ruthless to his kind but a heroic figure to the common folk. He instructed his men to avoid attention and to be polite and courteous to the common people; and to make sure that nobody make trouble for the Chinese businesses in Holland. He once gave the order to execute the leader of a mainland Chinese
Mainland Chinese
Mainland Chinese or Mainlanders are Chinese people who live in a region considered a "mainland". It is frequently used in the context of areas ruled by the People's Republic of China, referring to people from Mainland China as opposed to other areas controlled by the state such as Hong Kong or...
gang who had extorted from Chinese restaurants and gang-raped a female restaurant employee.
During his reign, he recruited many Malaysian Chinese
Malaysian Chinese
Malaysian Chinese is a Malaysian of Chinese origin. Most are descendants of Chinese who arrived between the fifteenth and the mid-twentieth centuries. Within Malaysia, they are usually simply referred to as "Chinese" in all languages. The term Chinese Malaysian is also sometimes used to refer to...
and some local Dutchmen. It was reported in the Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
press that a hundred men could be flown in from Malaysia if there is a need for any gang clash. The second-in-command, Henry, and third-in-command of Ah Kong were former See Tong members.
Under Dennis' leadership, Ah Kong became more influential than ever. Dennis was very well connected and had built a vast pool of contacts from Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
to Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. He had business dealings with the Italian mafia and Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
n crime syndicate, although many adversaries were created at the same time. When Johnny re-entered the illicit trade, he imported 800 kg of marijuana and handed them over to Dennis for distribution. However, the payment was not made in full. Dennis gave the reason that the quality was not good enough for the agreed price. His claim was made only after he had sold the pot not upon receiving the shipment. During a meeting in Bangkok
Bangkok
Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...
, Dennis insulted Johnny of being lacking in knowledge of dealing in the drug business and they ended with animosities. Dennis had received threats from his enemies and almost every competitor in the business wanted him dead. Therefore, he moved around with no less than 20 heavily armed bodyguards who carried bags packed with submachine guns and grenades, and who communicated with each other with walkie-talkies. He had also tightened security with surveillance cameras on the streets where the Ah Kong casino was located.
Ah Kong members were dressed in Versace
Versace
Gianni Versace S.p.A. , usually referred to as Versace, is an Italian fashion label founded by Gianni Versace in 1978.The first Versace boutique was opened in Milan's Via della Spiga in 1978, and its popularity was immediate. Today, Versace is one of the world's leading international fashion houses...
and wore diamond-studded gold Rolex
Rolex
Rolex SA is a Swiss watchmaking manufacturer of high-quality, luxury wristwatches. Rolex watches are popularly regarded as status symbols and BusinessWeek magazine ranks Rolex No.71 on its 2007 annual list of the 100 most valuable global brands...
watches which became their trademark. However, Dennis chose to dress simply without any luxury accessories. Ah Kong soldiers would patrol the streets, airports and train stations and look out for 'China White' traffickers arriving from Asia and other European cities. If they spot any suspicious character they would check on their passports and search them thoroughly. Any one caught dealing behind Ah Kong's back would be punished and those who snitched will be awarded a cut from the drug seized. At one stage when the heroin problem was out of control, the head of the Dutch
Dutch people
The Dutch people are an ethnic group native to the Netherlands. They share a common culture and speak the Dutch language. Dutch people and their descendants are found in migrant communities worldwide, notably in Suriname, Chile, Brazil, Canada, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, and the United...
police publicly announced his plan to eradicate the Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
drug cartel
Drug cartel
Drug cartels are criminal organizations developed with the primary purpose of promoting and controlling drug trafficking operations. They range from loosely managed agreements among various drug traffickers to formalized commercial enterprises. The term was applied when the largest trafficking...
. After learning this, Dennis sent a C-4
C-4 (explosive)
C4 or Composition C4 is a common variety of the plastic explosive known as Composition C.-Composition and manufacture:C4 is made up of explosives, plastic binder, plasticizer and usually marker or odorizing taggant chemicals such as 2,3-dimethyl-2,3-dinitrobutane to help detect the explosive and...
(plastic explosive) to the police chief's home and the police chief was forced to relocate his entire family to a military base. Subsequently, the police chief sent his subordinate to have a meeting with Henry to make peace with Ah Kong.
The Fall of Ah Kong
In 1997, Dennis received a call from a female friend asking to meet up. Thinking that he was to meet just a female friend, Dennis went alone and was gunned down mercilessly inside his car by two submachine gunSubmachine gun
A submachine gun is an automatic carbine, designed to fire pistol cartridges. It combines the automatic fire of a machine gun with the cartridge of a pistol. The submachine gun was invented during World War I , but the apex of its use was during World War II when millions of the weapon type were...
-wielding men on motorbikes. The killing was headline news on the front of all the major newspapers in Holland. The female friend’s family was heavily in debts but a few days before the assassination, the debts were mysteriously cleared. Siam-kia announced that he was the one who had ordered the hit. However, some people from the inner-circle discredited his claim and some said that the leader of the Sin Ma gang had a part in the conspiracy.
Henry, the second-in-command of Ah Kong, was automatically promoted to become the new leader. Henry had risen from the rank of an enforcer and had limited connections. He did not enjoy a good relationship with his peers and had little support from them, thus rendering him rather useless. He was fond of gambling at the casinos and loved to go to karaokes. He did not show much enthusiasm in seeking revenge for his predecessor, Dennis. The Ah Kong based in Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
, in charge of transporting the drugs to Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, refused to send shipments as a protest of his leadership. The Company’s fund was drained and Ah Kong slowly disbanded.
In 1998, Johnny was released from prison for the second time. He had been framed by a small-time Malaysian heroin trafficker and spent more than four years in a Zurich
Zürich
Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
prison. He returned to Holland and went into new trades: cocaine
Cocaine
Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...
, 4-methylaminorex/ice and ecstasy; and his operations went beyond Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
to as far as the Asia-Pacific
Asia-Pacific
Asia-Pacific or Asia Pacific is the part of the world in or near the Western Pacific Ocean...
. He associated with the Russians
Russians
The Russian people are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Russia, speaking the Russian language and primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries....
and team up with his long-time close friend, a semi-retired Dutch
Dutch people
The Dutch people are an ethnic group native to the Netherlands. They share a common culture and speak the Dutch language. Dutch people and their descendants are found in migrant communities worldwide, notably in Suriname, Chile, Brazil, Canada, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, and the United...
kingpin, who was the ex-boss of the Dutch drug lord, Klaas Bruinsma
Klaas Bruinsma (drug lord)
Klaas Bruinsma was a major Dutch drug lord, shot to death by mafia member and former police officer Martin Hoogland...
. Johnny was doing well and he took Henry in when the latter was in difficult times.
In 1999, Johnny was found dead, at the age of 53, in a hotel room in Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
after a huge cocaine shipment was busted. The Hong Kong police concluded that he had committed suicide; and the Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
newspaper reported that he had stabbed himself. The day before Johnny died, he had handed over his possessions and identification documents to a close friend. Rumours were that he was not able to answer for the failed shipment to the people who had entrusted him and death was apparently his only answer.
Henry joined Jack’s crew, the Ah Kong old-timer who was in bad term with Siam-kia, until Jack died of a heart attack.
In 2009, Roland and his Singaporean friend, known as Ah M, who had flew to the Danish
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
capital to celebrate his 61st birthday party was shot by his own man, a Vietnamese
Vietnamese people
The Vietnamese people are an ethnic group originating from present-day northern Vietnam and southern China. They are the majority ethnic group of Vietnam, comprising 86% of the population as of the 1999 census, and are officially known as Kinh to distinguish them from other ethnic groups in Vietnam...
called Nguyen Phi Hung. The attack took place after Roland had closed his popular Restaurant Bali at Kongens Nytorv Square, the heart of Copenhagen's
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
shopping district. He was shot in the shoulder but his friend was shot in the chest and was in a critical condition. Danish
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
media reported that about 40 young people turned up at the hospital after the two men were admitted in an apparent show of support.
Danish police have stated that the shooting was over a "personal matter" between the gunman and Roland, and that there was a brief exchange between the two men before the shooting. Roland was described as the most powerful Chinese businessman in Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
by Danish tabloid, Ekstra Bladet
Ekstra Bladet
Ekstra Bladet is a Danish tabloid newspaper focusing on sensationalist stories. It gets a share of its income from sex ads. Since 1979 it has always had a partly or completely naked woman on page nine which is referred to as Side 9 Pigen , a Danish equivalent of the English Page Three girl...
. Roland had previously been questioned by police in connection with several serious crimes, including drug dealing, blackmail and murder, according to Danish news reports.
Roland owns Restaurant Bali, a restaurant serving Indonesian
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
and Malaysian food, and a few other restaurants in Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
. The Danish branch of the Hells Angels
Hells Angels
The Hells Angels Motorcycle Club is a worldwide one-percenter motorcycle gang and organized crime syndicate whose members typically ride Harley-Davidson motorcycles. In the United States and Canada, the Hells Angels are incorporated as the Hells Angels Motorcycle Corporation. Their primary motto...
biker gang, whose activities revolve around drugs and prostitution, had held parties at the restaurant.
Henry returned to Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
. He had contracted cancer and died in March 2010 at the age of 58. He jumped to his death because he was unable to tolerate the pain of his illness. During Henry's prime, he was a fearsome enforcer respected by many but his last days in Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
was a sad story. He was beaten up by the Mainland Chinese
Mainland Chinese
Mainland Chinese or Mainlanders are Chinese people who live in a region considered a "mainland". It is frequently used in the context of areas ruled by the People's Republic of China, referring to people from Mainland China as opposed to other areas controlled by the state such as Hong Kong or...
gang while he was weak and ailing and had no one by his side. He took the humiliation as he was helpless. He realized it was all over for him and left the city he once shined.
He was the last official Ah Kong boss.
Present
Although Ah Kong’s glory days are over, there are still active Ah Kong members who operate individually or in very small groups and are lying very low. They are scattered all over EuropeEurope
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
, and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
; and some others have joined other groups.
Over the years, there have been many reports of Ah Kong in the press but not all have been accurate.
Sources
The Chinese Mafia by Fenton BreslerThe Trail of the Triads: An Investigation into International crime by Fenton S. Bresler
Slaying the Dragon by Tan Ooi Boon
The Triads as Business by Chu Yiu Kong
International Triad Movements by Chu Yiu Kong
The Dragon Syndicates - The Global Phenomenon of the Triads by Martin Booth
Warlords of Crime: Chinese secret societies - The new Mafia by Gerald L. Posner
Transnational organized crime and International security by Mats R. Berdal, Monica Serrano
Billion $$$ high by Peter L. Appleton, Doug Clark
Killing Fields Amsterdam by S. Brown
Television
Ah Kong was featured in the 1996 MediacorpMediaCorp
Media Corporation of Singapore, better known as MediaCorp, is a group of commercial media companies in Singapore, with business interests in television and radio broadcasting, interactive media, and, to a lesser extent, print publishing and film-making....
blockbuster Mandarin television drama series, "Brave New World" (新阿郎), which starred Hong Kong actor, Alex Man
Alex Man
Alex Man , Hong Kong actor who has played leading roles in numerous movies and television serials.Born in Hong Kong, Alex Man joined ATV in 1970s, casting some TV drama. He became popular when joining TVB in 1980s, in which he had been the main character of several TV drama with big production...
and Fann Wong
Fann Wong
Fann Woon Fong , better known by her stage name Fann Wong, is a Singaporean actress, singer and model.At Singapore's Star Awards 1995, Fann became the first actress to win both the Best Actress and Best Newcomer awards in the same year...
. The series was filmed in Singapore and Holland.
See also
- Secret societies in SingaporeSecret societies in SingaporeSecret societies in Singapore are generally Chinese in origin. They have been largely eradicated as a security issue in the city state. However many smaller groups remain today which attempt to mimic societies of the past...
- Internal Security Act (Singapore)Internal Security Act (Singapore)The Internal Security Act of Singapore is a law that allows the Singapore government to investigate security threats like international terrorism, foreign subversion, espionage and acts of violence or hatred using race or religion...
- Organized crimeOrganized crimeOrganized crime or criminal organizations are transnational, national, or local groupings of highly centralized enterprises run by criminals for the purpose of engaging in illegal activity, most commonly for monetary profit. Some criminal organizations, such as terrorist organizations, are...