Mekong Matters

On 7 August 2026, a school shooting occurred in Nonthaburi, Thailand – just six months after one in Songkhla, a southern province. The shooters from both tragic incidents were teenagers with registered firearms. With about 10 million firearms, Thailand has one of the biggest gun markets in South East Asia and a rather permissive one at that.

In this episode of Mekong Matters we hear from Raviwan Rakthinkamnerd, Thai anthropologists and independent researcher focusing on grey areas such as the drug and gun markets, as well as Michael Picard, independent researcher with focus on arms trafficking in South East Asia.

In Thailand legal gun shops can be found ubiquitously and even easier than physical shopping, weapon parts can now be purchased online and the postal packages will be delivered to people’s homes the next day. Thailand also has a thriving illegal arms market with guns being trafficked through the country often moving back and forth between Myanmar and Cambodia or down through the peninsula into Malaysia and the rest of the region. In addition, there are often overlaps with other types of crime as illegal firearms are also used to protect drug trafficking caravans or scam compounds and enable many forms of violent attacks.

You can follow Michael's work by subscribing to his Substack

Or explore his data on arms trafficking in the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam via his incident map dashboard.

More insights on the Thai gun market from Raviwan (video in Thai, English subtitles available)

GI-TOC’s latest Mekong Risk Monitor to learn more about organized crime in the Mekong

This podcast has been funded by the Australian Government through the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. The views expressed in this publication are the author's alone and are not necessarily the views of the Australian Government.

He used to sell stolen identities to hackers, now he fights cyber crime. In this episode of Mekong Matters, Hieu Ngo, former cyber criminal turned cyber security expert and co-founder and CEO of Chống Lừa Đảo, explains how criminals are using real-time face swapping, AI-generated voices, and malware-as-a-service to trick even the most cautious people. Learn about the psychological tactics scammers use—exploiting fear, urgency, and trust—to manipulate victims into sending money or sensitive information and AI is making these crimes easier, cheaper, and more convincing than ever.

But there’s hope. Hieu discusses the global efforts to combat cybercrime, including cross-border crackdowns, stronger biometric verification, and the role of AI in defending against scams. He also provides practical advice on how to protect yourself and your loved ones.

If you want to learn more about the topic:

Chống Lừa Đảo's website: hhttps://chongluadao.vn/en

The latest Mekong Risk Monitor: https://globalinitiative.net/analysis/mekong-risk-monitor-3/

A world of deceit - A report on the global scam centre phenomenon: https://globalinitiative.net/analysis/mapping-global-scam-center-phenomenon/

This podcast has been funded by the Australian Government through the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. The views expressed in this publication are the author's alone and are not necessarily the views of the Australian Government.

In this episode of Mekong Matters, Mearodey Men, a member of the Girl Leadership Council at AusCam Freedom Project shares her firsthand experience in combating online child exploitation and human trafficking in Cambodia. She discusses the risks children and teenagers face in a quickly evolving digital world, how perpetrators groom victims, and the role of social media platforms like Telegram, Facebook, and Instagram in facilitating abuse.

Learn about the challenging societal expectations and the urgent need for stronger law enforcement, digital literacy, and tech company accountability. Discover how AusCam Freedom Project provides 24/7 support, legal advice, and mental health resources to survivors and at-risk youth.

This podcast has been funded by the Australian Government through the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. The views expressed in this publication are the author's alone and are not necessarily the views of the Australian Government.

Cyber scam operations in Myanmar and Cambodia have made headlines, but they are no less an issue in Laos and they are spreading across the country. In this episode of Mekong Matters, Phetmany Khemmana, Laos Field Coordinator at the Global Initiative against Transnational Organized Crime, explains how criminal networks are evolving: dispersing across provinces, recruiting local workers, using cryptocurrency and mule accounts to hide profits, and exploiting Special Economic Zones to stay one step ahead of law enforcement.

From his conversations with survivors to the latest nationwide police crackdowns, he breaks down who's behind the operations, how victims are deceived, and why regional cooperation is important to stop them.

This podcast has been funded by the Australian Government through the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. The views expressed in this publication are the author's alone and are not necessarily the views of the Australian Government.

Thailand's cannabis decriminalization in 2022 opened the door to a booming industry — but without a clear legal framework, it also turned the country into a hotspot for cannabis trafficking. In this episode of Mekong Matters, independent Thai journalist Nathaphob Sungkate unpacks how cannabis is being smuggled out of Thailand by air, by courier, and by sea — often using unwitting travellers as mules.

From 786 seizure cases in 2024 to over 3,000 in 2025, the numbers tell a story of policy failure, enforcement gaps, and organized crime exploiting a legal grey zone. We explore the methods traffickers use, the links between Thailand's legal cannabis market and illicit exports, and what it will take — from both Thai and European governments — to address the problem.

This podcast has been funded by the Australian Government through the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. The views expressed in this publication are the author's alone and are not necessarily the views of the Australian Government.

Vietnam’s rapid fintech growth and high crypto adoption have created new vulnerabilities for money laundering—placing the country on the FATF Grey List in 2023. In this episode of Mekong Matters Chat Le Nguyen, Senior Lecturer at the University of Canterbury’s Faculty of Law talks about Vietnam’s AML challenges and reforms, from peer-to-peer lending and predatory loan practices to crypto-related fraud and the role of cash in a largely cash-based economy.

Subscribe to Mekong Matters for monthly insights into organized crime and illicit markets across the Mekong.

#MekongMatters #vietnam #moneylaundering #antimoneylaundering #fatfgreylist #crypto #fintech #p2plending #financialcrime #compliance #organizedcrime

This podcast has been funded by the Australian Government through the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. The views expressed in this publication are the author's alone and are not necessarily the views of the Australian Government.

In this episode of Mekong Matters, we examine how popular online games and adjacent platforms are being weaponized to target and exploit young people in Thailand.

Our guest Wirawan “Boom” Mosby, founder and director of the Hug Project Thailand, shares on-the-ground insights into how trust is built and abused online, how perpetrators profit from live-streamed content, and what families, schools, tech companies, and governments can do to protect children.

If you or someone you know needs help:

1. Contact your local child protection services or law enforcement immediately.
2. Report abusive content directly on the platform where it appears
3. Reach out to reputable child protection NGOs in your area

This podcast has been funded by the Australian Government through the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. The views expressed in this publication are the author's alone and are not necessarily the views of the Australian Government.

• Leaked-Research Report - The HUG Project

In this episode of Mekong Matters, we turn to Laos, where girls and young women are being lured across borders by false promises of jobs, security, and marriage. Once separated from their families, many face forced labor, sexual exploitation, surrogacy, and coerced criminal activity.

Our guest, Madame Intana, Director of the Association for Development of Women and Legal Education (ADWLE), explains how poverty, debt, gender norms, and limited opportunities drive vulnerability.

We also examine why many victims hesitate to seek help and the practical challenges they face, from lack of internet access to the need for precise address details to reach authorities.

This podcast has been funded by the Australian Government through the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. The views expressed in this publication are the author's alone and are not necessarily the views of the Australian Government.

In this end-of-year episode of Mekong Matters, we unpack how organized crime across the Mekong evolved in 2025, shedding light on the alarming developments that have taken place throughout the year. From industrial-scale cyber scam compounds and widening human trafficking networks to booming synthetic drug markets and sophisticated money laundering operations, we explore the multifaceted nature of these issues. Experts in the field explain in detail why the crisis is not only localized but is also spreading across continents, posing a significant challenge to global security.

Subscribe for monthly deep dives on organized crime trends across the Mekong.

Hosted by Trang Nguyen

🎧 New episodes on the last Monday of every month.

🤳 Subscribe to keep up to date.

Chapters:

00:00 - Opening: 2025 overview and the industrialization of cyber scams

00:45 - Scam epicentres: Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar

01:22 - How scam centres resurface after crackdowns

02:13 - Going transnational: expansion to Africa, Middle East, Pacific, South Asia

03:45 - Prevention: collaboration, data sharing, and top-level accountability

04:15 - Trafficking risks in Cambodia

06:29 - Labour trafficking and debt bondage explained

06:36 - Child sexual exploitation online: livestreams, sextortion, and AI imagery

08:09 - Language gaps: why Mekong-region content goes undetected

08:46 - Drugs in 2025: synthetic markets surge; Myanmar’s role

10:04 - Meth volumes visualized and the debate on drivers

12:35 - Following the money: shell companies and cross-border laundering

14:06 - Thailand temple scandal: embezzlement, extortion, and weak oversight

16:25 - Response gap widens: resilience vs. cyber/financial crime

17:09 - Cybercrime Convention: promise, timelines, and acting now

18:25 - Stay informed about organised crime in the Mekong

Guests:

Jason Tower - Senior Expert, GI-TOC

BC Tan - Managing Director & Head of Investigations in South East Asia, Kroll

Lindsey Kennedy - Investigative Journalist

Moeun Tola - Executive Director for the Center for Alliance for Labor and Human Rights

Virginia Comolli - Head of Pacific Programme, GI-TOC

Itsaraporn Daoram - Regional Coordinator for East Asia, Southeast Asia and the Pacific, ECPAT

Patrick Winn - Investigative Journalist

Khemthong Tonsakulrungruang - Constitutional Law Scholar

Ian Tennant - Director of Multilateral Engagement, GI-TOC

This podcast has been funded by the Australian Government through the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. The views expressed in this publication are the author's alone and are not necessarily the views of the Australian Government.

Border tensions between Cambodia and Thailand have pushed thousands of Cambodian migrant workers to return home. They face debt, unemployment, and heightened risk of labour trafficking. In this Mekong Matters episode, Trang Nguyen speaks with Moeun Tola, the Executive Director of the Center for Alliance of Labor and Human Rights (CENTRAL), about:

- How 2 million Cambodians working in Thailand are affected by conflict and xenophobia

- Debt bondage (51% of adult Cambodians in debt) and why “legal” recruitment can still be trafficking

- Passport withholding, forced labour, and the hidden mechanics of labour exploitation

- The vulnerabilities of low-skilled workers and migrant families with children

- What needs to change: agricultural reform, social land concessions, start-up capital, processing industries, market access

- The urgent need for real law enforcement

Chapters:

0:00 Trafficking victims need protection, not punishment

0:39 Episode intro and context

1:08 Border conflict and mass returns from Thailand

2:05 Jobs, debt, and Cambodia’s employment reality

3:47 Who’s most vulnerable and why

5:06 Debt bondage and “legal” labour trafficking explained

7:24 Migration by choice vs. necessity; regional risks

9:17 Long-term solutions: land, capital, and markets

12:14 Awareness campaigns, youth volunteers, and broker pushback

If you found this useful:

- Subscribe for more episodes of Mekong Matters

- Share this episode to raise awareness

- Learn more about GI-TOC’s work: globalinitiative.net

#MekongMatters #Cambodia #MigrantWorkers #LabourTrafficking #DebtBondage #HumanRights #Thailand #Migration #CENTRAL #GITOC

This podcast has been funded by the Australian Government through the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. The views expressed in this publication are the author's alone and are not necessarily the views of the Australian Government.