Kuala Lampur, Sept. 16 -- The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has issued a stark warning: online scam syndicates that once concentrated in well-known South-east Asian hubs are now shifting eastward, with Timor-Leste emerging as a new frontier.

Unless Asean recognises and responds to this development, the region risks underestimating a cross-border menace that undermines governance, weakens trust, and diminishes human dignity.

The Oecusse enclave in Timor-Leste - geographically within Indonesia but administered by Dili - demonstrates how quickly new hotspots can emerge.

A raid in August revealed large-scale scam operations concealed under the guise of foreign investment projects, including illegal gambling, romance frau...