One of China's most powerful organized crime leaders was revealed to have substantial connections with the Chinese Communist Party and has supported the government's interests in countries throughout Asia and Africa, The Washington Post reported Tuesday.
Wan Kuok Koi, 69, commonly known through his many interests as "Broken Tooth," chairs the World Hongmen History and Culture Association, which claims to promote Chinese culture overseas. Yet the U.S. Treasury Department said Hongmen is a front for the 14K triad, a Chinese crime syndicate known for "drug trafficking, illegal gambling, racketeering, human trafficking, and a range of other criminal activities."
In 2020, the U.S. Treasury sanctioned Wan, Hongmen, and several of his ancillary businesses, alleging they were part of a "powerful business network" that was involved in illegal activity in the Asia Pacific and barred any U.S. citizen and business from interacting with them.
Wan reacted to the U.S. sanctions by saying, "The World Hongmen History and Culture Association has always abided by laws and regulations, and never under the guise of China's Belt and Road Initiative engaged in any illegal behavior."
The Washington Post's investigation revealed that Hongmen has deeply embedded ties with the CCP and continues to facilitate the Communist Party's geopolitical interests in counties throughout the region. The investigation has also uncovered Hongmen associates laundering operations in Africa with Uganda being a notable location for human trafficking and financial crime.
In 2019, Wan was added to Palau's "undesirable alien" list after he attempted to purchase land close to two U.S. radar sites on a southern island of the U.S. ally. The U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime in an April report said that associates of Wan's "remain active on the island and have continued to expand their influence in Palau and elsewhere in the Pacific."
A former official in the U.S. State Department's Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs speaking to the outlet on a condition of anonymity said, "There's a growing Venn diagram between [Chinese] authorities and Chinese organized crime groups overseas, where there's clear knowledge of each other's activities, a kind of co-awareness and cooperation."
After the sanctions of 2020, Beijing publicly distanced itself from Wan and labeled the reports that he had any connection with the ruling party as "lies" and "unscrupulous attacks" on China.
In 2024, the Brookings Institute labeled Wan's 14K triad as "a prime example of a criminal group providing a variety of services to the Chinese government."
James Morley III ✉
James Morley III is a writer with more than two decades of experience in entertainment, travel, technology, and science and nature.
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