ASEAN officials pledge tougher, united response on transnational crime

Southeast Asian countries are under pressure to act, as scam syndicates and cross-border crime groups tighten their grip across the region. ASEAN officials have pledged a tougher, united response at a regional meeting on transnational crime in Malaysia today. The US Treasury Department has imposed sanctions against scores of scam operators in Myanmar and Cambodia in a bid to cut off their financial access. This, as cyberfraud rooted in Southeast Asia is said to have stolen almost US$6 billion from US citizens alone. Melissa Goh reports.