Crime Gangs Control Some Myanmar, Laos Economic Zones: UN

Organized crime gangs have effectively taken control of a host of Special Economic Zones (SEZs) close to the borders of China and Thailand, and are posing a growing threat to the security of countries in both Southeast Asia and areas further afield, according to the UN Office of Drugs and Crime.

An estimated 240 casinos have been built in 120 SEZs in the Mekong subregion and some of these areas have become hubs of serious criminal activity, UNODC representative for Southeast Asia and the Pacific Jeremy Douglas said in a panel discussion in Bangkok on June 15.

Gangs running the SEZs were involved in trafficking large quantities of illicit drugs, laundering billions through unregulated casinos, while running online gambling for people in neighboring countries via easy-to-access fintech apps and call centres involved in crypto scams, often undertaken by people lured into these areas and held against their will, the UN official said.

“A lot of these [ASEAN] governments see these zones as extra-territorial,” Douglas said, adding “they’re not applying national laws.. so it’s attracting criminal groups. There’s been a massive influx in these areas by organized crime.

“We’ve had countries say ‘We cannot go in’. For example, at the King’s Romans [casino in an SEZ in Bokeo in northern Laos], the police don’t enter without permission … so this is highly problematic,” he said.

Source: https://www.asiafinancial.com/crime-gangs-control-some-myanmar-laos-economic-zones-un