Vienna, Austria – Prosecutor General Justice (Rtd.) Uz. Abbas Shareef has called for stronger international cooperation, technology sharing, and real-time intelligence exchange to combat the growing threat of technology enabled fraud and transnational organized crime.
Speaking at the side event “United Against Scam Centres: A SEAJust-Led Approach to Transnational Fraud” during the 35th Session of the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice (CCPCJ35) in Vienna, the Prosecutor General highlighted the scale and sophistication of modern scam operations and the challenges faced by countries seeking to investigate and prosecute these crimes.
In his remarks, the Prosecutor General noted that criminal networks operating scam compounds in Southeast Asia are estimated to generate between USD 18 billion and USD 37 billion annually in victim losses. He warned that advances in artificial intelligence, deepfake technology, and digital financial systems are enabling fraud networks to operate across multiple jurisdictions with unprecedented speed and efficiency.
Drawing on examples of victims affected by online investment scams and emerging AI-enabled fraud schemes, the Prosecutor General emphasized that technology enabled fraud is a global challenge that affects countries of all sizes and levels of development.
“The world should stop pretending we can do this alone,” he stated, underscoring the difficulties faced by prosecution services and law enforcement agencies attempting to pursue increasingly sophisticated criminal networks that operate across borders.
The Prosecutor General further stressed that access to advanced investigative technologies remains unequal, with many developing countries lacking the resources necessary to effectively counter well funded criminal organizations. He described this disparity not merely as a resource issue, but as a challenge to global justice.
To address these concerns, the Prosecutor General called for three key measures:
1. the establishment of real-time intelligence-sharing mechanisms between relevant agencies,
2. greater access to advanced investigative technologies through meaningful technology transfer,
3. and the development of shared digital investigation infrastructure accessible to small and developing states.
Concluding his remarks, he reaffirmed the Maldives’ commitment to international cooperation in the fight against transnational crime and urged the international community to work collectively to close the gap between the capabilities of criminal networks and the institutions tasked with bringing them to justice.
The Prosecutor General is attending CCPCJ35 alongside Senior Public Prosecutors Mohamed Abdulla, Ashfaaq Naeem and Ahmed Aiman Ali.
Senior Public Prosecutor Mohamed Abdulla also participated as a panelist in the side event.
