The desire for expansion has largely been fuelled by intensified regulatory action across Southeast Asia, embodied by the widespread efforts to combat gangs in the Philippines.
Benedikt Hofmann, UNODC Acting Regional Representative for Southeast Asia and the Pacific, commented: “We are seeing a global expansion of East and Southeast Asian organised crime groups.
“This reflects both a natural expansion as the industry grows and seeks new ways and places to do business, but also a hedging strategy against future risks should disruption continue and intensify in the region.”
“It spreads like a cancer,” Hofmann added. “Authorities treat it in one area, but the roots never disappear; they simply migrate. This has resulted in a situation in which the region h..
