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UN report reveals Telegram’s role in empowering Southeast Asian crime gangs: Report highlights billions laundered via unregulated channels

In a report released by the United Nations Office for Drugs and Crime (UNODC), criminal networks across Southeast Asia are alarmingly increasing. According to the report released on 10 October 2024, criminals are turning to the encrypted messaging app Telegram to conduct large-scale illicit activities. The report claims that Telegram has enabled a fundamental shift in how organized crime operates, offering a platform where illegal goods and services can be traded with little oversight.

Telegram, which boasts close to 1 billion users, is accused of hosting sprawling channels where hacked data such as credit card details, passwords, and browser histories are openly traded. “Tools used for cybercrime, including so-called deepfake software designed for fraud, and data-stealing malware are also widely sold, while unlicensed cryptocurrency exchanges offer money laundering services,” the report highlighted.

One particularly alarming ad, written in Chinese, read: “We move 3 million USDT stolen from overseas per day,” highlighting the ease with which criminal networks can launder stolen funds through the platform. The report also points to “strong evidence of underground data markets moving to Telegram and vendors actively looking to target transnational organized crime groups based in Southeast Asia.”

The region has become a major hub for a lucrative industry that targets victims worldwide through fraudulent schemes, with many of these operations run by Chinese syndicates based in heavily fortified compounds staffed by trafficked workers. The UNODC estimates that this industry generates between $27.4 billion to $36.5 billion annually.

The report follows similar accusations levelled against Telegram after its founder and CEO, Pavel Durov, was arrested in Paris in August. Durov, a Russian-born tech entrepreneur, faces charges of allowing criminal activity on the platform, including the distribution of sexual images of children. France’s decision to charge Durov under a new, unprecedented law has sparked debate on the criminal responsibility of app providers and the balance between freedom of speech and law enforcement.

Despite the serious allegations, Telegram has yet to respond to the UNODC report or address concerns about its role in facilitating organized crime.