Former reporter shares involvement prying on gang lords

In 1999, Wan Kuok-koi was sentenced to 15 years in prison as he was convicted of money laundering, loan sharking, telephone tapping and being a gang leader

A former journalist from Hong Kong, Henry Mong, revealed how he has mingled with triad bosses, drug lords and murderers including Wan Kuok-koi.

Mong, who is now a fiction writer, recalled his involvement as an investigative crime reporter in some of Hong Kong’s most notorious and barbaric crimes such as the kidnapping and disappearance of Chinachem founder Teddy Wang Teh-huei and the Hello Kitty murder.

Detailing his story to the South China Morning Post, Mong recalled his connection with a local gangster and 14k triad boss Wan Kuok-koi, also known as “Broken Tooth.”

Wan served more than 14 years in prison for his role in the region’s 90’s turf wars before being released on December 2, 2012. According to Mong, the triad boss put a considerable amount of trust in him.

“I was writing about him up until his arrest [in 1998]. I interviewed him so many times, I managed to finish a 14-page story about his crimes in just two days,” said Mong. “In the ‘90s, when he was sometimes away from Macau and out of the police’s reach, I had a way to contact him and he would reply, informing me of his next move.” The former reporter said that Wan Kuok-
koi told him he longer wanted to be in the spotlight or have his story told.

In 2009, Mong was sentenced to five-months’ imprisonment after magazine East Week, where he worked as chief editor, published naked photos of former abductee Carina Lau, taken years earlier during her abduction ordeal.

Two years ago, Mong started his Chinese-language “Chief Editor Detective” series, which tells stories of the crimes he had covered as an investigative reporter.

Mong recalled that working on the crime beat was dangerous, revealing that they rented a secret space and had a steel office door for extra protection. He also noted that he socialized with thousands of policemen for a trade of information.

“Sometimes, it was a trade-
off. For example, they might want something published to help them get a promotion, but it was of no news value. I would help them get it published as a favor, to be repaid later.”

According to him, the current press can no longer follow major crimes the way they used to as the Hong Kong authotities communications systems went digital in 2004. Thus meddling on the police radio transmissions is “no longer possible.”