Transnational crime booming across Southeast Asia, says UN report
Transnational crime is booming in Southeast Asia, the UN warned Thursday, aided by rapid regional economic integration and patchy cross-border police work.
The problem is so acute that the UN estimates illegal trade across East Asia and the Pacific is now worth more than US$100 billion more than the combined GDP’s of Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia.
The stark assessment comes after the 10-nation Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) launched its EU-inspired regional economic bloc in December aimed at boosting trade and attracting more investment.
The vision for the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) is a single market with a free flow of goods, capital and skilled labour, which should help the region compete with the likes of China for foreign investment.
Transnational crime flows have been growing rapidly in the region. The threat is clear and rising
But in a report released on Thursday, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime warned moves to pull down barriers are likely to be a major boon to the region’s sophisticated criminal networks.
Those organisations already flourish amid widespread corruption and weak governance in Southeast Asia to trade drugs, wildlife, natural resources, people and other counterfeit goods.