Taiwan gang leaders ordered their subordinates to temporarily shutter brothels and underground casinos and halt gatherings to help stem the rapid spread of COVID-19 that threatens to undermine the island’s largely successful efforts over the past 18 months to contain the virus.

Tiendaomeng, also known as the Celestial Alliance and one of the three largest triad groups in Taiwan, has issued a “jianhu order” — a top-level command in the underworld — to ban members from visiting prostitutes, gambling and gathering. The gang also closed all of its own underground casinos, hotels, entertainment clubs and brothels, according to Taiwan’s United Daily News.

The groundbreaking order was intended to minimize social contacts and help contain the coronavirus, which has been hitting Taiwan since mid-May. The number of cases jumped from just over a thousand two weeks ago to 8,160 as of Monday afternoon.

The two other major organized-crime groups, Bamboo Union and the Four Seas Gang, have yet to make such an order.

However, all gang bosses have already warned their subordinates, triad sources told United Daily News. “Everyone knows now is not the time to mess around,” said one. But prolonged social distancing measures and lockdowns will have a major impact on the livelihood of poor people.

The making of a “jianhu order” was a rarity, said local police. Their willingness to collaborate was helpful in containing the virus and maintaining social order, it added.

Still, some gangsters are reportedly trying to milk profit from Taiwan’s deficiencies in rapid test kits and vaccines. Vaccines and other medical equipment have already been trading on the black market, a source told United Daily News. Vaccines made in mainland China are more widely available but there was still a limited quantity of AstraZeneca shots, the source said.

Although the rapid test kits and vaccines needed government approval, those who could afford it would still buy them on the black market, the source said. A US$14.50 test kit imported from abroad might fetch three or four times that, the source added.

The police warned that taking unapproved vaccines was against the law, urging the public to only take those approved by the authorities.

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