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.
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.”
