Bangladesh, July 22 -- Organized crime groups in Southeast Asia have evolved into highly interconnected transnational enterprises that now operate across multiple illicit industries using shared financial, technological, and logistical infrastructure, according to a new report released by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

The report, published on July 21, warns that criminal syndicates are increasingly functioning like multinational businesses, combining cyber-enabled fraud, human trafficking, migrant smuggling, drug trafficking, illegal gambling, money laundering, and other illicit activities within a single operational network.

UNODC estimates that online scam operations alone caused between $88.3 billion and $114...