CoinVoice recently learned that according to CoinDesk, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime called on Southeast Asian countries to criminalize unlicensed money service businesses or virtual asset service providers (VASPs). In a report released on Monday, the agency said that some VASPs (including those with ties to known criminals) are facilitating transactions for fraud organizations and high-risk gambling sites.

An unnamed entity conducted transactions worth "at least hundreds of millions of dollars" with criminal organizations, the report said. These included groups associated with or directly involved in large-scale drug trafficking, human trafficking, cybercrime and child sexual abuse material, as well as entities sanctioned by the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and wallets associated with the North Korean Lazarus Group.

"More than ever, governments need to recognize the severity, scale and reach of this truly global threat and prioritize solutions that address the region's burgeoning criminal ecosystem," Masood Karimipur, UNODC regional representative, said in a statement.