15
2.57
Organised crime syndicates seek to establish monopolies in both legitimate and quasi-legitimate businesses. It takes a syndicate a fairly long time to gain a monopoly in any given area. Initially, when a particular service is made available, such as the setting up of a market or a PLB route, there will a series of bloody clashes between rival gangs. Eventually settlement talks, conducted by senior office-bearers, will occur and arrangements made for one gang to be allowed the monopoly. Having gained control, violence is no longer required, except occasionally, and those participating in the monopoly, who may well have been victims in the first instance, are satisfied with the situation because they know that by paying monthly fees they, and they alone, will be allowed to operate and outsiders will be banned.
2.58
Criminal monopolies exist in the following areas-
(a)
(b)
(c)
Decoration
Syndicates control decoration on some Home Ownership Scheme estates to the extent that they only allow triad backed companies to do business in the estate. Non-triad decorators will be warned off. Few will ignore the warning and rarely are reports made to the Police;
Services to Squatter Areas
Not to
Syndicates provide illegally diverted water and electricity and are involved in the erection and sale of huts. accept such services leaves the residents, who are usually not well educated, open to intimidation. Consequently, residents pay inflated costs but are unwilling to report the matter to the authorities;
Markets and Abattoirs
Syndicates operate in some poultry, vegetable and fish markets and possibly in abattoirs. They provide unofficial security services and artifically inflate market prices. They are also involved in the provision of dry goods in hawker bazaars; and