Gangsters, Killers and Me by Gerard Gallacher

Author:Gerard Gallacher [Gallacher, Gerard]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: B & W Pub
Published: 2011-11-07T23:00:00+00:00

25

TRIAD (AND TESTED)

Just after my return I was to experience some of the frustration felt by the detectives who had worked on the Philip Wong murder which had happened in Garnethill. Mr Wong had been a respected member of the Chinese community, but when investigating his murder the officers had found that information was unforthcoming. Their attempts to win over the reticent Chinese Community had been met with a Great Wall of Silence, but I suppose a Triad assassination ensured tongues remained tied.

On Monday, 29 July 1991, not long after I’d begun my shift, a uniform officer came through to tell me that the owner of a local Chinese takeaway had come into the office, and was claiming to have been held hostage in his car the previous night. I spoke to him, and found that, although Vietnamese-born, he had lived most of his life in Hong Kong before arriving in Britain in 1979.

He told me he’d been working in his shop the previous evening when he’d been approached by two Vietnamese males, one of whom he knew. The men had asked him for work, but had been told by the shopkeeper that he had no vacancies. The three had then arranged to meet up for a meal at the close of business.

When the shopkeeper closed up he was met by the two men who, by this time, had been joined by two further Vietnamese. An amicable conversation followed during which the shopkeeper was asked to point out his car. As soon as he did all pretence of friendliness vanished, three of the men produced flick knives and he was bundled into the rear of his own car.

He was then forced to hand over his car keys and was driven to various quiet locations on the outskirts of the city. Throughout his time in the car he claimed that he had been punched, had knives held against his throat, and was threatened with having his fingers cut off if he didn’t hand over £5,400. I’m not entirely sure, but I think that number may hold some significance in Triad culture.

He eventually agreed to go to his bank first thing in the morning. He was escorted by the man he knew, who accompanied him to the bank. He withdrew £4,000 in cash and handed it over and was given his car keys in return.

He described the men to me generally, but the only decent description he gave me was of the man he knew. He was about twenty-seven, 5'7" tall and obviously an Arnold Schwarzenegger fan because he had a Terminator flat-top hairstyle, and wore a black t-shirt and trousers. I was more interested in the fact that the bank video showed that he had tattoos of an eagle on both forearms.

I still needed more help and that was when the good relationship I’d cultivated with the Scenes of Crime and Forensic Laboratory staff paid off. I called Keith Eynon, who was the senior scientist at the Lab and he told me to bring the car in immediately and he’d assign people to work it.

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