Welcome to the second issue of the Mekong Risk Monitor. The monitor is a periodic publication of the Mekong Network to Counter Transnational Crime (MNET-CTC), a programme implemented in partnership by the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime (GI-TOC) and the Australian government. Each issue reports on trends and priorities in these countries’ criminal markets, situating local developments within broader regional and global dynamics with a view to increasing the understanding of organized crime in the Mekong region.

The first story of this issue takes a close look at Khammouane province, a hotspot of organized crime in Laos, examining how the province’s proximity to the Thai and Vietnamese borders, growing trade infrastructure, Chinese-linked investment and rich biodiversity make it vulnerable to exploitation.

The second story, based on key informant interviews with people who use drugs in Cambodia, investigates drug prices and accessibility in three sites. The third article looks at how personal and corporate mule accounts are used for laundering illicit proceeds. Specifically focused on the phenomenon in Thailand, it also provides takeaways for government agencies and regulators across the Mekong more broadly.

The final article explores how newly introduced regulations in Vietnam may continue to restrict the voices of independent media and civil society, and how these measures not only suppress freedom of speech, but also impact economic development and national security.

Together, these stories illustrate how organized crime in the Mekong does not emerge from a single vulnerability but from an interconnected system of enablers and facilitators, underlining the need for comprehensive, holistic regional responses that address root causes and tackle enforcement gaps.