Human trafficking in Southeast Asia becomes a global crisis

Organized crime rings have fueled a surge in human trafficking and online scam hubs during the Covid-19 pandemic, Interpol Secretary General Jurgen Stock said at a press conference at the Interpol headquarters in Singapore on March 27. From Southeast Asia, these groups have expanded their networks globally, generating up to $3 trillion in annual revenue, according to Reuters.

Three suspected human traffickers (orange shirts) are escorted by police in December 2023 in Lhokseumawe, Indonesia

“These organised crime groups are operating on a scale that was unimaginable a decade ago. What started as a regional criminal threat in Southeast Asia has become a global trafficking crisis, with millions of victims, both at the cybercrime hubs and at the targets,” said Mr Stock.

The official said online scam centers, where people are lured and forced into fraud, have helped organized crime groups diversify their drug trafficking revenue. Still, he said, drug trafficking still accounts for 40 to 70 percent of their revenue.

"We also see clearly that these groups are diversifying their criminal activities, using drug trafficking routes to traffic people, weapons, stolen goods, stolen vehicles," Mr. Stock said.

According to the Interpol Secretary General, an estimated $2 trillion to $3 trillion worth of illegal transactions pass through the global financial system each year, and an organized crime group can earn up to $50 billion a year.

Last year, the United Nations said more than 100,000 people fell victim to online human trafficking scams in Cambodia. In November of the same year, Myanmar handed over thousands of Chinese scammers to Chinese authorities.

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