Organised crime

Trump convenes Latin American leaders to curb crime, immigration

US President Donald Trump will be hosting the "Shield of the Americas" summit with Latin American leaders focusing on security and democracy on March 7, 2026, in Doral, Florida.

US, Ecuador bomb drug trafficker camp near Colombia border, militaries say

How South-east Asia became home to the world’s scam farms

(FILES) This aerial photo taken on September 17, 2025 shows the KK Park complex in Myanmar's eastern Myawaddy township, as pictured from Mae Sot district in Thailand's border province of Tak. China is moving against the cyberscam tycoons making fortunes in Southeast Asia, driven by mounting public pressure and Beijing's desire to keep control of judicial processes, analysts say.
In 2025, a series of crackdowns largely driven by Beijing -- which wields significant economic and diplomatic influence in the region -- saw thousands of workers released from scam centres in Myanmar and Cambodia and repatriated to their home countries, many of them to China.
Now Beijing has turned its focus to the bosses at the apex of the criminal pyramids, netting its biggest player so far with the arrest and extradition of Chen Zhi from Cambodia in January 2026. (Photo by Lillian SUWANRUMPHA / AFP) / TO GO WITH Cambodia-China-cybercrime-diplomacy, FOCUS by Sally JENSEN

Scam centres ‘destroying’ Cambodia’s economy, PM tells AFP

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet speaking to AFP in Brussels on Feb 25.

Jail for man linked to foreigner who fled before others were nabbed in $3b money laundering case

Chinese national Chen Yiren had worked for Vanuatu citizen Xu Liangbiao whose whereabouts are unknown after he left Singapore on Aug 14, 2023.

Mexican drug lord ‘El Mencho’ killing sparks revenge attacks; cars, businesses set ablaze

The burst of violencepainted a familiar scene for Mexicans who have spent two decades watching successive governments wage war on drug cartels.

Cop turned crime boss, Nemesio ‘El Mencho’ Oseguera leaves bloody legacy

A bus used as a roadblock by organized crime burns following a federal operation in which Mexican drug lord Nemesio Oseguera was killed, in Zapopan, Mexico, on Feb 22.

Senior ‘Luffy’ crime group member gets life sentence over Japan robberies

A crime group in Japan had used monikers such as “Luffy” after a popular manga character.

Cartel drones become flashpoint between US and Mexico

US authorities blamed a Mexican cartel drone for shutting down the airspace over El Paso, Texas, for seven hours on Feb 11.

AI helps scam centres evade crackdown in Asia, dupe more victims

AI allows scam operators to scale up at low cost, making them more willing to run the risk of being caught.

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MDDI (P) 046/10/2025. Published by SPH Media Limited, Co. Regn. No.202120748H. Copyright © 2026 SPH Media Limited. All rights reserved.