If I recall correctly, Yakuza gangs were forcing Chinese who were duped into believing they were on their way to good jobs (to relieve astronomical debts forced on their relatives by the Yakuza) to go to England in squalid conditions. Somehow bypassing all official filters these pitiful folks were ordered to collect mussels from beaches known to have treacherous tidal actions, for the benefit of Chinese restaurants owned by the Yakuza under paid-off or intimidated local fronts. When many of these slaves died from the tides someone somehow got the story to the papers.
You see the result from the article above: “Immigrants trying to provide for their families”, etc., lie, embellishment. Some folks just don’t like the idea of having a knuckle cut off no matter how many people end up drowning.
Self-correction: the Yakuza are Japanese. The gang I’ve been talking about are a Hong Kong-based bunch inspired by the Yakuza. While their name (Golden Dragon?) escapes me they are known to be totally without remorse or positive human values. One story about them had a smuggler asking a father for more money. When the father pleaded he already gave them all he had the thug shot his youngest daughter right off the boat out of the mother’s arms.
Put’s a whole new perspective on “The Care Bears in the Land of No Feelings”.