There is no doubt that the Triads are an international menace. The very word conjures up images of intrigue, mystery, brutality and violence and following the handover of Hong Kong to China there have been increasing fears that the influence of the Triad societies will spread through emigration. This book investigates the reality behind the myth. Yiu Kong Chu here looks at the Hong Kong Triads, generally regarded as the headquarters of triad societies throughout the world. He describes their origins, their involvement in legitimate businesses from the entertainment and construction industries to street hawking and the wholesale fish markets of Hong Kong and finally their part in illegal activities around drugs, gambling and human smuggling. Based on interviews with ex triad members and victims of the Triads as well as with police from Hong Kong, mainland China and Europe, as well as on documentary evidence Triads as Business: A Brief Introduction gives a vivid and compelling picture of the Triads as part of a wider society.