The Report Crimes Associated with Critical Minerals in Southeast Asia: Trends, Challenges and Solutions, offers a regionally focused analysis of the risks and vulnerabilities posed by illicit activity in the critical minerals sector. As Southeast Asia’s role in supplying minerals is essential to the global energy transition and digital technologies expand, so too does its exposure to environmental crime, corruption, and illicit financial flows.
The report highlights how the growing demand for minerals such as nickel, tin, rare earth elements, and cobalt is creating opportunities for organised crime. These threats are compounded by insufficient traceability mechanisms, legal and institutional gaps, and limited enforcement capacity. The report calls for enhanced financial investigations, increased support for law enforcement, and expanded research to address this evolving threat landscape.
Content
The study combines desk research, expert interviews, and stakeholder consultations, alongside a regional valida
