Triad (organised crime)
三合會 / 三合会 | |
Triad members arrested in Siam | |
| Named after | Union of Heaven, Earth and Man, Chinese mythology, and traditional Chinese folk religion customs |
|---|---|
| Founding location | Canton, Hong Kong, Macau |
| Territory | Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, Southeast Asia, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, North America, Brazil, Argentina, Peru, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, United Kingdom, France, Italy, Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Spain, Romania, Bulgaria, Russia, and South Africa |
| Ethnicity | Han Chinese |
| Activities | Extortion, protection, murder, assault, racketeering, human trafficking, sex trafficking, illegal gambling, loan sharking, counterfeiting, copyright infringement, kidnapping, robbery, Chinese film and music industries, drug trafficking, money laundering, arms trafficking, health care fraud and immigration fraud |
A triad (simplified Chinese: 三合会; traditional Chinese: 三合會; pinyin: sān hé huì; Cantonese Yale: sāam hahp wúi) is a Chinese transnational organised crime syndicate based in Greater China with outposts in various countries having significant overseas Chinese populations.
The triads originated from secret societies formed in the 18th and 19th centuries, some influenced by white lotus societies of the 14th century, with the intent of overthrowing the minority Manchu-ruling Qing dynasty. In the Republican era of early 20th century, triads were enlisted by the Nationalist regime to attack political enemies, including assassinations. Following the foundation of the People's Republic of China and subsequent crackdowns by the Chinese Communist Party, triads and their operations retreated to Hong Kong, Macau and overseas Chinese communities. Since the Reform and Opening Up period, triads and other triad-like criminal organisations re-emerged in mainland China. In modern times, triads overseas have been reported to have connections to the government of the People's Republic of China.