It is the second largest triad group in the world with around 20, members split into thirty subgroups. They are the main rival of the Sun Yee On , which is the largest triad.
The 14K is responsible for large-scale drug trafficking around the world, most of it heroin and opium from China or Southeast Asia. This is their primary business in terms of generating income. They are also involved in illegal gambling, loan sharking , money laundering , contract murder, arms trafficking, prostitution , human trafficking, extortion , counterfeiting and, to a lesser extent, home invasion robberies. Other sources [1] [12] say 14 stands for the road number of a former headquarters and K stands for Kowloon.
Compared with other triad societies, the 14K is one of the largest and most violent Hong Kong-based triad societies, and its members appear to be more loosely connected. While Hong Kong's 14K triad gang dominates its traditional areas of operation and has expanded far beyond the former British colony, its focus remains Sinocentric. Hong Kong triads, including the 14K, have expanded their activities in mainland China. A key motivation for members to cross into China is to avoid police security and anti-gang crackdowns in Hong Kong.
During the riots , the 14K confronted the colonial government at the time. The riot caused 60 deaths and over hospitalizations. After the riot, the colonial government arrested over 10, 14K members, with of them being deported to Taiwan. The government then created the Triad Societies Bureau, in order to assist law enforcement in combating triad activities.
In , there were a number of gang-related attacks that left 69 people dead. In , a Portuguese court convicted year-old mob boss, Broken Tooth Koi, on various criminal charges and sentenced him to 15 years' imprisonment.
