Crime Cartels Wield ‘Unprecedented’ Influence in Southeast Asia
- UN says synthetic drugs generating $61.4 billion per year
- Organized crime is outpacing governments and law enforcement
A reporter views packages of seized 459 kilograms (1,012 pounds) of crystal methamphetamine on a table during a press conference at the Narcotics Suppression Bureau Bangkok on July 15, 2019.
Source: AP Photo
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Transnational crime syndicates are raking in tens of billions of dollars a year selling everything from drugs to counterfeit goods as cartels outpace law enforcement to expand their influence across Southeast Asia, the United Nations has found.
Major crime groups operating in the region -- some based in Macau, China and Hong Kong -- have achieved "unprecedented influence" working in tandem with corrupt government officials and private enterprises, according to a new United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime report released Thursday.