Hong Kong, a city that shines with a bustling night scene, hides layers of shadows behind it. In 1998, the dark side of this cosmopolitan city was overshadowed by a name – Zhang Ziqiang.
A series of crimes that shook the city finally came to an end this year. At the Guangdong Provincial High People's Court, Zhang Ziqiang faced the death sentence, his face expressionless and pale as paper.
The hustle and bustle of the outside world contrasts with the silence of his heart, as if to signal that a long-hidden secret is about to surface.
A few weeks later, with the execution of Zhang Ziqiang, the legendary criminal career came to an end. However, the media attention did not stop there.
Journalists flocked to an inconspicuous cottage where the mother of the notorious criminal lived.
In an interview, in the face of a reporter's question, she burst into tears and only said four words, what are these four words?
The starting point of Zhang Ziqiang's crime: the robbery at Kai Tak Airport
In the mid-1990s, Cheung's name gained notoriety in Hong Kong society for his involvement in a series of criminal activities.
In particular, in 1990, he planned and carried out the robbery of Hong Kong's Kai Tak Airport, an operation that was not only bold but also successful, allowing him to make a huge fortune overnight.
Kai Tak Airport is located in the Kowloon City District, which at that time was a major international aviation hub for Hong Kong.
Zhang Ziqiang and his accomplices infiltrated the airport in the early hours of the morning, which was the most peaceful moment of the airport.
They wear black masks and costumes that almost blend in with the night and go almost unnoticed. They first cut off part of the security system, and then quickly approached the area where the cash was kept.
The cash is intended to be loaded into flights to international destinations.
Zhang Ziqiang and his team used advanced tools to open the safe, and their movements were very skillful, showing that they had carefully prepared and practiced the operation.
In just a few minutes, they moved millions of Hong Kong dollars in cash and quickly fled the scene.
Due to their professionalism and careful planning, the security personnel at the airport were not even able to detect the anomaly in time, allowing Zhang Ziqiang and his accomplices to escape smoothly.
However, despite the huge fortune that the robbery brought to Zhang, his lifestyle quickly drained it.
Zhang Ziqiang has an inextricable obsession with gambling, and he often appears in major casinos in Hong Kong, investing huge sums of money in gambling day and night.
Unfortunately, gambling rarely brings stable income, and more is a bottomless pit, and Zhang Ziqiang's robbery proceeds are also lost in continuous gambling.
Kidnapping Li Ka-shing's eldest son: extorting hundreds of millions of dollars
In May 1996, Zhang Ziqiang's criminal plan reached a new climax. Together with some of his accomplices in prison, he orchestrated a kidnapping of the family of Hong Kong's richest man, Li Ka-shing.
Their target was Li Ka-shing's eldest son, an operation that made it a high-risk operation not only because of the illustrious background of its target, but also because of the huge ransom involved.
The action begins early in the morning. Zhang Ziqiang and his team had already made careful plans and preparations in advance.
They monitored the subject's day-to-day movements for several weeks, detailing its itinerary and security measures.
On the day of the operation, they used two vehicles, one for the kidnapping and the other for escape.
The kidnapping took place while the Li family was on their way to the office. Zhang Ziqiang and his accomplices disguised themselves as road maintenance workers to create the illusion of traffic congestion.
As the Li family's vehicle slowly drove to the trap they had set, several accomplices quickly approached, subdued the driver and bodyguards, and quickly transferred the target to the pre-prepared vehicle.
The whole process took less than three minutes, and the pedestrians around them did not even immediately realize what was happening, which shows the efficiency and calmness of Zhang Ziqiang's team.
Once the Li family was taken to a pre-arranged secret location, Zhang Ziqiang immediately sent a ransom letter to Li Ka-shing through secure communication.
The ransom they demanded was HK$1,038 million, an astronomical amount that shocked the entire Hong Kong community.
In the letter, Zhang warned that any police intervention or delay in paying the ransom would lead to serious consequences.
After receiving the extortion letter, the Li Ka-shing family urgently negotiated with the Hong Kong police. Considering the safety of the Li family's son, it was decided to pay the ransom secretly to ensure the safety of the hostages.
At the same time, the police launched an investigation in an attempt to track the whereabouts of the kidnappers and the hiding places.
After intense negotiations and coordination, the Li family finally agreed to pay a ransom of HK$438 million.
To ensure the security of the transaction, this ransom is divided into several parts, delivered in multiple locations in a sophisticated manner, to avoid losing the entire ransom in a single transaction or being ambushed by the police.
After receiving the ransom, Zhang Ziqiang released the Li family as promised.
Although the hostages eventually returned safely, the incident shook Hong Kong deeply, revealing that even the most powerful families are not entirely immune from being targeted for high-risk crimes.
Action Again: The Kidnapping of Guo Bingxiang
After successfully kidnapping Li Ka-shing's eldest son and obtaining a huge ransom, Zhang Ziqiang did not stop his criminal acts. On the contrary, his ambitions seem to be more inflated.
In 1997, he set his sights on another Hong Kong wealth magnate, Kwok Bingxiang, the city's second-richest man.
Zhang Ziqiang and his team carefully studied Guo Bingxiang's living habits and daily itinerary. They found that although Guo Bingxiang's security measures were tight, there were still vulnerabilities that could be exploited.
Mr. Cheung planned to kidnap Kwok on his way to his office on Hong Kong Island.
To ensure the success of the operation, Zhang Ziqiang added more associates and employed more sophisticated tactics.
The action is carried out on a normal weekday morning. Mr. Kwok was in a black limousine driven by two bodyguards.
Halfway through the journey, Zhang's team used two vehicles to carry out a well-designed interception. A car suddenly rushed out from the side, forcing Guo Bingxiang's vehicle to stop.
Immediately afterward, another car blocked the retreat from behind, and several militants quickly got out of the car and subdued the bodyguard and driver with guns.
Throughout the operation, Zhang Ziqiang's team showed a high degree of professionalism and accuracy, and quickly transferred Guo Bingxiang to a prepared car without attracting the attention of others, and drove away from the scene.
Subsequently, they took Kwok Bingxiang to a pre-prepared hidden location, which was located in a remote area of the New Territories, to ensure that it would not be easily discovered by outsiders.
Zhang Ziqiang sent a ransom letter to the Guo family in a safe way, demanding a ransom of 300 million Hong Kong dollars.
In the letter, Zhang Ziqiang warned that he would not accept any form of police intervention, otherwise it would pose a threat to Guo Bingxiang's safety.
They also specifically specified the method and time of delivery of the ransom, demanding that the transaction be completed within a short period of time to ensure Guo Bingxiang's safety.
After receiving the extortion letter, the Guo family faced tremendous pressure and finally decided to comply with the kidnappers' demands.
The ransom payment process involved multiple transfers and handovers, and every step was carefully monitored by Zhang's team in case the police intervened.
The ransom was paid in batches through several preset points, and finally Zhang Ziqiang released Guo Bingxiang as agreed after confirming that he had received all 300 million Hong Kong dollars.
Conspiracy for a bigger crime: buy a lot of explosives
As the end of 1997 approached, Zhang's criminal operation entered a new and more dangerous phase.
After several successful blackmail kidnappings, his ambitions were not only not satisfied, but swelled to new heights.
At this point, he began to plan a massive and devastating terrorist attack.
This time, he targeted a high-rise building in Hong Kong, which has not yet been determined, but the operation is expected to be far more devastating than any of his previous criminal activities.
In order to implement this plan, Zhang Ziqiang began to secretly collect the necessary supplies. He purchased up to 800 kilograms of high explosives through black market channels.
The explosives were powerful enough to destroy a building of more than a dozen floors. The process of purchasing explosives is fraught with risks and involves multiple illegal arms and explosives traffickers.
In order to maintain the secrecy and security of his operations, Zhang Ziqiang employs multiple identities and complex transaction methods to conceal his true intentions.
Zhang Ziqiang and his team chose to store the explosives in warehouses in remote areas. The site is heavily guarded, and the nature of the surroundings makes it difficult for outsiders to spot.
At the same time, Zhang Ziqiang also hired several technicians with professional knowledge to handle and prepare these explosives to ensure that they can be used quickly and effectively when needed.
While preparing for the attack, Zhang Ziqiang also took special care to avoid attracting the attention of the police. Nevertheless, such a large-scale preparatory activity attracted the attention of some underground intelligence networks.
The Hong Kong police began receiving anonymous alerts about Mr. Zhang's possible planning of major crimes.
The police immediately stepped up their surveillance of Zhang Ziqiang and his activities, and began to closely track his movements and contacts with the outside world.
In planning the attack, Mr. Cheung demonstrated his contempt for Hong Kong's security system and the threat it posed to social stability.
His plan is not just for money, but to show his power and influence to society as a whole.
As a result, he became more connected to international criminal groups, gaining knowledge and support from them on the use of explosives and blasting techniques.
However, just as Zhang's criminal plan was about to enter the implementation phase, the situation changed.
Through a series of monitoring and investigations by Zhang Ziqiang's team, the police finally locked down their hiding place.
During a raid, police smashed their hideout, seized a large amount of explosives, and arrested several team members.
Although Zhang Ziqiang initially escaped capture, he was eventually arrested soon after after the police continued to pursue him.
The End and the Trial: The Fate of Zhang Ziqiang
In a well-planned and executed police operation in 1998, Zhang Ziqiang was arrested on suspicion of planning a large-scale terrorist attack, an operation that prevented a potential catastrophe almost at the last minute.
With Zhang's arrest, the Hong Kong police have succeeded in dismantling the operation, which could pose a great threat to public safety.
Zhang's case was quickly transferred to the court for trial because of the serious crimes involved and the high level of public concern.
During the trial, the court collected a large amount of evidence, including the explosives Zhang Ziqiang hidden, transaction records with international criminal gangs, and detailed records of his multiple kidnappings and extortion.
All of this evidence points to the fact that Zhang Ziqiang planned and participated in a number of serious criminal activities.
On 5 December 1998, the Guangdong Provincial High People's Court conducted a final trial of Zhang Ziqiang's case.
The trial was conducted under intense scrutiny, with a gallery full of journalists, legal professionals and members of the public, each awaiting a final verdict on the notorious criminal.
On that day, the atmosphere in the courtroom was extremely tense. The presiding judge solemnly read out the verdict against Zhang Ziqiang - death sentence and deprivation of political power for life.
This verdict is not only a punishment for Zhang Ziqiang's personal crimes, but also a warning to the whole society, showing that the law has zero tolerance for serious crimes.
When Zhang Ziqiang was pronounced, his face was expressionless, but his face was pale, revealing a suppressed emotional state.
The expressions of the others in the courtroom also varied, some showed relieved expressions, others were silent and concerned, and the whole trial ended in an atmosphere of depression and seriousness.
After Cheung's execution, Hong Kong society continued to be highly concerned about his life and crimes.
The media in particular showed a keen interest in the family background behind Cheung, trying to explore how the criminal who once shook the whole of Hong Kong came to the path of crime.
Against this backdrop, several major news organizations approached Zhang's mother, hoping to learn more about Zhang's personal life and upbringing.
The interview took place in the hut where Cheung's mother lives, in a relatively remote and calm area of Hong Kong.
The reporters arrived with equipment and a sense of caution, aware that the conversation could touch the deep pain of a grieving mother.
When the reporters entered the house, Zhang Ziqiang's mother was already sitting on the old sofa, her face looking haggard, and her eyes were obviously melancholy.
With the camera turned on and the recording equipment commissioned, the interview officially began.
The reporter first asked Zhang Ziqiang's childhood and growth environment in a gentle tone, trying to understand Zhang Ziqiang's life trajectory from the perspective of a mother. In response to these questions, she tearfully uttered four words: "Gambling addiction".
When talking about Zhang Ziqiang's gambling problems, her voice became even more choked.
She described how Cheung was first introduced to gambling as a young man, initially with occasional amusement with friends, but soon became addicted to it.
She recalled that despite repeated attempts by his family to dissuade him and even to put strict financial controls on it, Zhang Ziqiang always found a way to circumvent the restrictions and continue his gambling behavior.
In the interview, Zhang's mother pointed out that gambling addiction eventually led to his extreme need for money, which was the trigger for his later choice to embark on the criminal path of kidnapping and extortion.
She revealed that even when Zhang Ziqiang received a huge ransom after committing the crime, he did not stop gambling, but instead indulged more, which eventually consumed most of his illegal gains.
Resources
- Guoxin." National Security Communications,1999(4):34-37