Lui Lok


Lui Lok CPM, dubbed as 'The Five-Hundred-Million-Dollar Inspector', was a former Hong Kong Detective Staff Sergeant I. He became notorious for his acts of corruption during the 1960s to 1970s during British Hong Kong period, and being wanted by ICAC.

Biography

Lui Mo Lok was born in Haifeng County, Guangdong and spent his childhood there. Lui immigrated to Cheung Chau before moving to Hong Kong, there he survived as a shoeshiner, a postman and a rickshaw driver before joining the Hong Kong Police Force.
On 9 November 1940, Lui became a police officer in the Patrol Sub Unit of the Hong Kong Police Force. He was then promoted to a detective. While working in the Criminal Investigation Department, he was promoted by Senior Detective Chan Lap, and then CPL, Police Corporal by 1951. That same year, he was transferred to Sham Shui Po Police Station.
In 1955, the gang 14K was one of the four biggest triads in Hong Kong. While 14K was holding a feast in a school located in Diamond Mountain, Lui arrested them with his team. Lui was made famous for wiping out the triad. As a result, he was promoted to SCPL, Senior Corporal in 1956.
In 1956, the Hong Kong 1956 riots happened. Because of Lui's experience in dealing with the triads, he was arranged in an important position by the administration of the police force. Because of his outstanding work, he was promoted to be the DS/SGT II in New Territories District, stationed in Tsuen Wan Police Station.
In 1958, Lui was transferred to Yau Ma Tei to replace the retired DS/SGT II Lau Fuk. In 1962, the Hong Kong Police Force reset the position of DS/SGT I, and Lui was promoted one of two DS/SGT I positions, Lam Gong was promoted to the other. Lui stationed in Hong Kong Island while Lam was stationed in Kowloon and New Territories.
On 1 April 1962, Lui was awarded the Colonial Police Medal.
In 1967, Lui and Lam were transferred to other stations by the Police Force in a case of serious corruption. In 1968, Lui took early retirement from the police force.
In 1973, Lui immigrated to Canada with his wife and eight children. In 1974, the ICAC was founded, and a wanted notice for Lui was issued in 1976. He was charged with having assets "disproportionate to and unable to be explained or accounted for by his official emoluments, awards, or allowance'" and many of his assets were frozen by the ICAC. The Hong Kong court recovered part of his assets in 1977, and some of which were later recovered through his estate in 1986. He was unable to be extradited due to the lack of an extradition treaty with Taiwan and legal complications with Hong Kong's treaty with Canada.
In 1979, Lui purchased a luxury apartment in Taipei, Taiwan, where he would reside in low profile for more than 30 years. His daughter became a Taiwanese citizen and was a civil servant, while his seven sons were reisided in Canada. He died due to gastric cancer on 13 May 2010 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. His funeral was attended by 80 family members and friends at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Burnaby, where he was buried.

Depictions in media

Lui has been depicted in various films and TV Series due to his notoriety.