Interpol said on Wednesday (March 27) that organised crime groups chargeable for a surge in human trafficking and online fraud through the pandemic have expanded from Southeast Asia to create a world network generating revenues of as much as $3 trillion a yr.
Jurgen Stock, Secretary General of INTERPOL, stressed that these organized crime groups, fueled by online anonymity and inspired by latest business models, are actually operating on a scale unimaginable a decade ago. The criminal threat within the Southeast Asian region has morphed into a world human trafficking crisis, with hundreds of thousands of individuals falling victim to cyber scams and becoming easy targets for criminals.
The international organized crime syndicate generates $50 billion in annual revenue, while $2 trillion to $3 trillion in illicit funds flow through the worldwide economic system. By comparison, France’s economy is valued at $3.1 trillion, based on the International Monetary Fund.
Stock said that while drug trafficking accounts for about 40 to 70 percent of organized crime’s income, criminal groups also use smuggling routes for other illegal activities, comparable to human trafficking, arms dealing and theft.
Interpol said its operations in Asia have led to almost 3,500 arrests and the seizure of $300 million in illicitly obtained assets in 34 countries since 2021.
On the opposite hand, the United Nations noted in a report last yr that a whole bunch of hundreds of individuals have fallen victim to human trafficking in cybercrimes in various regions. The UN also estimated that greater than 100,000 people have been trafficked to Cambodia and other places, where they experience conditions resembling modern slavery.
Meanwhile, as much as 120,000 people might be detained in facilities in Myanmar, which has been embroiled in internal conflict since a military coup in 2021. Myanmar is a strategic hub for fraud syndicates, positioned in a mountainous region bordering southwestern China. Beijing is now actively working to combat transnational crimes targeting Chinese nationals.
In addition, organized crime groups operate in countries comparable to Laos, Thailand, and the Philippines, where they perpetrate various types of online fraud, including illegal gambling, marriage scams, and cryptocurrency scams, all of which generate significant profits.
Victims from across Asia are sometimes lured into seemingly legitimate jobs of their regions, but are then trafficked into fraud centers where they’re subjected to serious abuse. This can include forced labor, arbitrary detention, inhumane treatment, and even torture. Unfortunately, local authorities often provide little or no assistance in these cases.
Source: CNN | Reuters
