A cited account uses the steam launch Wo Fat Xing to show how piracy adapted to modern shipping. Pirates seized her inside Hong Kong harbor in 1927 and stole 30,000 dollars in gold bars. The location made the incident especially embarrassing because it occurred close to the headquarters of the forces meant to suppress piracy. British and American newspapers answered such cases with colorful stories about corporate-style pirate companies and female directors. The episode separates a real security failure from the sensational organizational mythology built around it.
Notable Point · 27:41-28:31
Gold stolen from Wo Fat Xing in Hong Kong harbor
The 1927 seizure of Wo Fat Xing inside Hong Kong harbor exposed how closely steamship piracy could operate to the anti-piracy headquarters.