BEIJING, DECEMBER 5: Even before the gambling enclave of Macau embraced Chinese sovereignty, Beijing's crackdown has struck terror amongst the tiny territory's triad and syndicated gangs forcing them to make a quiet exit, media reports here say.In the run up to the handover of the 17 sq km Portuguese enclave to China on December 20, there have been almost regular media reports about execution, imprisonment and detention of ganglords in Macau.Reports said China has struck a hard blow to syndicated gang rings in Macau, stabilising the security situation there ahead of the celebrations and arrival of foreign dignitaries for the handover function.Many triad leaders have left the enclave and shifted their bases to places like Bangkok, media reports said.On November 23, China executed five triad leaders in the coastal town of Zhuhai, in South China's Guangdong province which borders Macau.The five Macau gang leaders - Yit Seng Kin, Li Xinwen, He Jingshen, Li Aijun and Zhang Jianhai - have beencharged with several cases of murder, robbery, kidnapping, storing weapons and ammunition and harbouring and transporting stolen goods in Macau.Police say that some of these underground gangs are well-armed with weapons such as sub-machine guns, posing a threat to Macau's social stability.Reports from Macau say that local residents are hoping that Chinese rule would bring social stability in the territory, which is renowned for its casinos. China has already stationed a 1,000-strong contingent of the peoples liberation army (PLA) in Zuhai.The PLA garrison would be responsible for defending Macau after the handover.
