One of the studies, announced by former provincial attorney general Maureen Maloney, determined that the problem is nationwide organized crime washed an estimated $34.8 billion within Canada in 2018. This statement is not intended to diminish the importance and threat from other regions; a significant amount of heroin is known to be sourced from South-West Asia and the Middle East (even though seizure results indicate that these areas are responsible for 5 to 10 per cent of overall supply, some enforcement authorities estimate that the real order of magnitude is much higher than this). In fact, it is relatively easy for triad members to form criminal associations with members of other triads or with outsiders. It is the 2nd biggest Triad group in the world ranging from 20,000 to 25,000 affiliates divided into 30 sub groups. 4.38 below and "Triads strike on gold cards", Sunday Mail (Brisbane), 23 October 1994, p. 34. 19, 1993, p. 258: "By emulating Triad initiation rites and internalizing Triad norms and values, they [gang members] can claim a certain traditional legitimacy within their communities. 4.4 Others agree on the importance of south-east Asia as a source of the heroin arriving in Australia. //