Artificial intelligence (AI) technologies are advancing at an unprecedented rate, promising transformative potential across a wide array of sectors, from healthcare and education to governance and economic development. Yet, alongside these positive advancements, the rapid proliferation of AI is concurrently giving rise to substantial security and governance challenges that demand urgent attention.  While AI undeniably offers significant efficiency, decision-making, and automation advantages, it's increasingly being exploited by organized criminal networks to facilitate transnational crimes. These emerging AI-enabled transnational crimes manifest in various insidious forms. We're witnessing the use of deepfake technologies for sophisticated fraud and extortion schemes, the deployment of generative AI to power large-scale phishing and social engineering attacks, the development of AI-assisted money laundering operations, and, disturbingly, the abuse of AI tools in human trafficking and child exploitation. The inherently anonymous and borderless nature of cyberspace allows these crimes to proliferate with astonishing speed and scale, frequently outpacing the capabilities of current law enforcement.  These concerning trends are particularly pronounced within the Asia-Pacific region. In the Asia-Pacific region, many nations are eagerly embracing AI-driven innovation to propel their digital economies and foster sustainable growth. The region's expansive digital ecosystem, rapidly growing economies, persistent digital divides, and varied levels of cyber governance create fertile ground for AI-enabled criminal activities. Also, underdeveloped regulatory frameworks and disparities in law enforcement capacities exacerbate the problem. High rates of cross-border data flows, porous digital borders, and the rapidly evolving nature of AI applications make transnational crimes involving AI both frequent and exceedingly complex to address. Despite mounting enforcement efforts, cyber-enabled fraud has continued to intensify. According to UNODC estimates, financial losses from scams targeting East and Southeast Asian victims reached between USD 18 billion and 37 billion in 2023.  Furthermore, its studies also report a staggering 1,530 per cent increase in deepfake-related crimes in the Asia-Pacific between 2022 and 2023.  On average, organizations in  Asia Pacific faced 1,835 new cyberattacks every week, a figure significantly higher than the global average of 1,248 . This challenging environment is further complicated by the fact that cybercriminals often leverage legally and technologically vulnerable nations as bases for activities like ransomware distribution, and illegal server operations, exploiting the physical distance between the crime's origin and its victims to evade international investigations.  In response, many Asia-Pacific governments are adopting multifaceted strategies. For example, Australia published its AI Ethics Principles in 2019 and updated its Voluntary AI Safety Standard in September 2024, establishing 10 “AI guardrails” to ensure systems are safe, secure, and reliable, while Malaysia launched a National AI Office in December 2024 with mandates to develop ethical AI codes, craft a five-year AI strategy, and regulate the responsible use of AI. International organizations such as the United Nations are also playing key roles. UN Women emphasizes the adoption of a zero-tolerance policy towards all forms of violence and harmful behaviour in digital environments , while the OHCHR recommends bans on AI applications that cannot comply with international human rights law, and moratoriums on the sale and use of AI systems that carry a high risk of adverse human rights impacts, unless and until adequate safeguards are in place . These initiatives support capacity building, responsible AI governance in criminal justice, and stronger legal cooperation across borders.  Given the rapidly evolving threat landscape, proactive engageme