Scams, trafficking, drugs, and money flows: Organized Crime in 2025 in the Mekong | Mekong Matters

In this end-of-year episode of Mekong Matters, we unpack how organized crime across the Mekong evolved in 2025, shedding light on the alarming developments that have taken place throughout the year. From industrial-scale cyber scam compounds and widening human trafficking networks to booming synthetic drug markets and sophisticated money laundering operations, we explore the multifaceted nature of these issues. Experts in the field explain in detail why the crisis is not only localized but is also spreading across continents, posing a significant challenge to global security.Subscribe for monthly deep dives on organized crime trends across the Mekong.Hosted by Trang Nguyen🎧 New episodes on the last Monday of every month.🤳 Subscribe to keep up to date.Chapters:00:00 - Opening: 2025 overview and the industrialization of cyber scams00:45 - Scam epicentres: Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar01:22 - How scam centres resurface after crackdowns02:13 - Going transnational: expansion to Africa, Middle East, Pacific, South Asia03:45 - Prevention: collaboration, data sharing, and top-level accountability04:15 - Trafficking risks in Cambodia06:29 - Labour trafficking and debt bondage explained06:36 - Child sexual exploitation online: livestreams, sextortion, and AI imagery08:09 - Language gaps: why Mekong-region content goes undetected08:46 - Drugs in 2025: synthetic markets surge; Myanmar’s role10:04 - Meth volumes visualized and the debate on drivers12:35 - Following the money: shell companies and cross-border laundering14:06 - Thailand temple scandal: embezzlement, extortion, and weak oversight16:25 - Response gap widens: resilience vs. cyber/financial crime17:09 - Cybercrime Convention: promise, timelines, and acting now18:25 - Stay informed about organised crime in the MekongGuests:Jason Tower - Senior Expert, GI-TOCBC Tan - Managing Director & Head of Investigations in South East Asia, KrollLindsey Kennedy - Investigative JournalistMoeun Tola - Executive Director for the Center for Alliance for Labor and Human RightsVirginia Comolli - Head of Pacific Programme, GI-TOCItsaraporn Daoram - Regional Coordinator for East Asia, Southeast Asia and the Pacific, ECPATPatrick Winn - Investigative JournalistKhemthong Tonsakulrungruang - Constitutional Law ScholarIan Tennant - Director of Multilateral Engagement, GI-TOCThis podcast has been funded by the Australian Government through the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. The views expressed in this publication are the author's alone and are not necessarily the views of the Australian Government.