The island’s Gambling Supervision Commission (GSC) has given an update on the evolving global threat of organised crime emanating from South East Asia.

It comes following a new alert by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime which focuses on how the island republic of East Timor had been infiltrated by criminal gangs.

The report highlights an Isle of Man link to a cyber fraud and illicit gambling network.

In December last year the GSC cancelled the licence of Douglas-based Metagrow Solutions Limited and subsequently banned its owner and director from having any further role in the island’s gambling sector.

This followed their conviction in Singapore for conspiring to acquire stolen personal data from a Chinese cybercrime syndicate. They were jailed for 14 weeks.

The UN report says that he was chairman of a tech company that was awarded the contract to lead and fund a National Digital ID project in East Timor’s special administrative region of Oecusse-Ambeno.

A close associate is reported to be the owner of a gaming company, which held a domestic gambling license in East Timor and operated offshore online gambling platforms.

There were connections to a Triad gang and casino developments in Cambodia, linked to money laundering and online scam operations, says the report.

Infiltration of Oecusse-Ambeno and its national ID system by convicted cybercriminals posed a serious security risk.

Following the publication of its threat alert, East Timor suspended its online gambling licensing framework.

A new national risk assessment for the Isle of Man says there is now ‘limited appetite’ to grant a licence for an e-gaming business where there is ownership or control from SE Asia.

The GSC said East Timor’s government had taken appropriate and proportionate action.

It said criminal networks were using ‘legitimate-looking infrastructure projects to gain credibility and regulatory access in vulnerable jurisdictions’.