Bleeding Red

If you live in Hong Kong and take the red minibus from Tsuen Wan to Kwun Tong, a good chunk of the fare you've been paying has been going into the pockets of the Wo Shing Wo triad society, according to the police.

It seems the former dragonhead of the Tsuen Wan gang was raking in HK$14 million per year (about US$1.79 million) in protection fees; each of 30 minibus drivers had to fork over HK$10,000 per month or more, yet no one reported the extortion to the police because they could still earn an income of between HK$10,000 to HK$20,000 per month. An officer also pointed out:

They were guaranteed a steady income because the gang made sure no other driver could run these routes.

Red minibus routes are easy targets as they operate with flexible routes and fares, unlike green minibuses which have routes and fares fixed by the Transport Department. Case in point: the police investigation has turned up three other minibus routes running from Tsuen Wan to Kowloon East that are being controlled by a separate Wo Shing Wo triad society.

About 1,300 red minibuses operate on more than 200 routes in the Big Lychee, creating a huge cash cow just waiting to be milked by triad leaders willing to gamble their freedom for potential millions.

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