Originating from Singapore , it was one of the world's largest drug syndicates , having been mainly based in Amsterdam , Netherlands, and Bangkok , Thailand, where they received their drug supplies. The production of heroin was at an area known as the Golden Triangle formed by Thailand, Laos and Myanmar. Ah Kong was not a triad but a fearsome organized crime gang that was renowned all over Asia and Europe. Ah Kong, which means "The Company" or short for kongsi in Hokkien , was never that influential in their home country of Singapore despite its founding members being from there, due to the country's strict anti-drug policies and the successful crackdown on secret societies [a] there.
It was also known to have had connections with other Southeast Asian countries such as Thailand and Indonesia, and over the years they had built strong ties with the infamous Penang -based Sio Sam Ong. Most of the members of Ah Kong were Singaporean Chinese and spoke Hokkien although they were overseas-based.
It was formed when several members of See Tong which means buddies or a group of close friends killed and seriously injured members of their rival gang in a gang clash, and escaped to the Netherlands. While in the Netherlands, the gang received more members joining them. These new members had military training that was acquired while doing their rigorous National Service NS stint in Singapore.
After the assassination of the Ah Kong boss in , they began to lose their influence to the Sin Ma gang based in Rotterdam led by a Singaporean fugitive wanted for first-degree murder with firearm in the s. The last official Ah Kong boss died in March Roland Tan died in Secret societies and gangs were part and parcel of everyday life which the local populace in Singapore had to live with. The gangs' activities, which included extortions, illegal gambling, prostitution, drug dealing, loansharking illegal moneylending , armed robberies and kidnapping, were a major menace in Singapore, especially in the s to the s.
Gang wars that resulted in deaths and serious injuries, even to common bystanders, were a common sight in those days. In , the Commissioner of Police in Singapore revealed that there were known secret societies in Singapore.
