BlockBeats news, October 8, 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). The agency said in a report released on Monday that some VASPs (including those with ties to known criminals) are facilitating transactions for fraud organizations and high-risk gambling sites.
The report said an unnamed entity conducted transactions worth "at least hundreds of millions of dollars" with criminal organizations. 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 recognise the severity, scale and reach of this truly global threat and prioritise solutions that address the region's burgeoning criminal ecosystem," Masood Karimipour, UNODC regional representative, said in a statement.
