ABSTRACT
One of the major controversial issues in the study of triad societies is whether the societies are centrally structured or highly disorganised. Western observers tend to believe that Hong Kong triads are tight-knit secret societies with godfathers at the top directing their local and overseas branches to organise a variety of criminal activities (Booth 1990; Black 1991). On the other hand, the Hong Kong police like to see triads as an unorganised entity. The 1981 Royal Hong Kong Police Annual Review (p. 7) wrote:
The triad member today is in the main a petty gangster who trades on the fear inspired by the sinister mysticism of the ancient name. There is no centralised control of triad groups and only a very loose-knit relationship between gangs operating under the name of the same society.
