Money laundering watchdog maps Southeast Asia's scam hubs to Special Economic Zones

The Asia/Pacific Group on Money Laundering, the regional FATF-style body covering 42 member jurisdictions, published its Cyber Scam Hubs and Human Trafficking Report 2026 on July 7. Its core finding is structural: the scam compound economy is not randomly distributed. It is anchored in Special Economic Zones, free trade areas, and border regions where state authority is weak and oversight is thin.

The report names the pattern's flagship locations: Dara Sakor and Henge Thmorda in Cambodia, the Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone in Laos, and Clark in the Philippines. It also traces the hubs along the border areas between Thailand, Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia, and along Myanmar's northern border with China.

The pandemic conversion

The report draws a direct line to the pandemic. Casinos and hotels operated by criminal syndicates inside these zones lost their revenue base during lockdowns and were repurposed into scam compounds staffed by trafficking victims. APG Executive Secretary Dr Chris Black said the report outlines practical indicators to help governments, financial institutions, and frontline workers identify these operations earlier and improve support for victims.

Displacement, not eradication

The operational consequence documented by the report matches what this desk has covered for months: compounds in these zones can be relocated or rebranded when regulatory pressure increases. Enforcement that clears one site without addressing the zone-level conditions produces displacement, not eradication.