The report by UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) highlights that the transnational organized cybercrime groups in East and Southeast Asia are spreading beyond the region as crack-down pressure increases.
Changing trends and highlights of UNODC Report
- Transnational organized crime in Southeast Asia: E.g. Shift to synthetic drug production (methamphetamine) in Myanmar.
- Geographical Expansion: From East and Southeast Asian to Africa, South Asia (including India), Middle East, Pacific islands, Europe, North America, and South America.
- E.g., large numbers of Indian nationals were sent back from scam centres in Myawaddy, Myanmar, in March 2025.
- Emergence of new illicit online marketplaces: E.g., Huione Guarantee (Haowang), a telegram-based marketplace in Southeast Asia, emerges as one of the world’s largest illicit online marketplaces.
Relation between Cyber Fraud and Organized criminal groups (OCG)
- OCGs engaging in cybercrime: E.g., Utilized ICT to exploit new online criminal markets (e.g., Internet gambling).
- OCGs are also becoming more professional: E.g. Using a range of malware, deepfake and other AI-driven technology services.
Recommendations
Raising political awareness and will; strengthening regulatory frameworks; enhancing operational capacity of enforcement agencies; advancing operational regional cooperation, etc.
Related NewsRecently, NITI Aayog published an article titled ‘Digital Arrest: The Modern-Day Cyber Scam’. What is Digital Arrest?
Why does it happen?
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