Meanwhile, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) warned that organised crime groups based in Southeast Asia are rapidly expanding beyond the region by exploiting advanced technologies, cryptocurrency, artificial intelligence and encrypted communications.
According to the new UN report, criminal syndicates that once operated primarily from scam compounds in Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos have evolved into sophisticated international enterprises involved in cyber fraud, human trafficking, online gambling, drug trafficking, wildlife crime and money laundering.
“The region has become a global testing ground for organised crime,” the report warned, noting that crackdowns in one country have simply pushed criminal operations into neighbouring states and offshore jurisdictions.
The report estimates that scam operations alone generated between US$88 billion and US$114 billion in global losses during 2025, with victims spanning every continent.
