PUBLISHED ONJanuary 21, 2026 1:20 PMBYSean LerA video shows multiple police vehicles lined up along the street outside the Universal Funeral Parlour in Hong Kong, another shows dozens of police officers standing at the walkway leading up to the parlour.
Outside the parlour, wreaths lined the streets as men in black suits stood around.
These were not scenes from a Hong Kong TVB drama or movie, but the funeral of Heung Wa Yim, who was allegedly once the "dragon head" of Sun Yee On, one of Hong Kong's major triads.
Heung died at the age of 93 on Dec 23. His funeral service was held on Monday (Jan 19), while the cremation service was conducted on Tuesday (Jan 20).
The nearly month-wait is typical in Hong Kong, owing to the shortage of funeral and cremation facilities.
HK media outlet HK01 reported that several persons with ties to the Sun Yee On triad were present at the funeral.
Two wanted persons were also reportedly arrested when they were seen at the funeral.
The report also said that police officers from the organised crime and triad bureau, district headquarters, anti-triad unit, emergency unit and traffic unit were present to maintain law and order.
Heung, the eldest son of Sun Yee On's founder Heung Chin, allegedly served as the triad's leader between 1950s and 1980s.
He was arrested in April 1987, after a former Hong Kong police officer, who became a triad member, turned himself in and asked for police protection.
The former officer identified Heung as the leader of the triad. He was brought to trial, convicted and sentenced to eight years' imprisonment.
Heung was released in December 1989 after his conviction was overturned on appeal.
A report on the law and order situation in Hong Kong in 2024, published on April 24, 2025, said there were a total of 2,325 triad-related crimes out of a total of 94,747 crimes that year.
Triad activities are brought under control through cross-jurisdiction enforcement operations conducted jointly with Macau and China.
An example is Operation Thunderbolt, which targeted crime proceeds, drugs, illegal gambling establishments and vice.
The most recent such operation was conducted in the second half of 2025, leading to the arrest of 4,140 persons and the seizure of weapons, cash totalling HK$13.6 million (S$2.27 million).
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