Alleged Washington Post investigation initially has found that the Hongmen association is not just an alleged criminal front. It is entwined with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in ways that have not been previously reported.
In December, a man considered by U.S. officials to be among Asia’s most powerful crime bosses gathered friends and allies in the Chinese casino city of Macao. Videos from the event show Wan Kuok Koi belting out Cantonese songs and smiling broadly for the cameras, seemingly unbothered by investigations across multiple countries into his alleged role in large-scale scams, fraud and money laundering.
And its network, which has continued to expand despite sanctions, has routinely supported Beijing’s political objectives in Southeast Asia, the Pacific and Africa, even as it is investigated in at least four countries for alleged fraud, bribery, online scams, money laundering and other crimes.
The 69-year-old Wan :widely known by his nickname, “Broken Tooth” ,presided over the celebration as chairman of the World Hongmen History and Culture Association, which describes itself as an ethnic Chinese fraternal organization devoted to promoting Chinese culture abroad.
According to the U.S. Treasury, however, the association serves as a front for the 14K triad, one of China’s largest organized crime groups with involvement in “drug trafficking, illegal gambling, racketeering, human trafficking, and a range of other criminal activities.”
In 2020, the Treasury imposed sanctions on Wan, the association and several related entities, saying they were part of a “powerful business network” that had been involved in illicit activity across the Asia Pacific since 2018, and barred U.S. residents and entities from any transactions with them.
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