Jeremy Douglas is the Regional Representative of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in Southeast Asia and the Pacific. He can be followed on Twitter @jdouglasSEA. The opinions expressed in this commentary are his. View more opinion articles on CNN.

(CNN) Southeast Asia is no stranger to organized crime.

Twenty years ago, the leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) agreed to address the growing illicit drug economy and signed a joint declaration that the region would become "drug-free."

Although still an objective, this goal is now more distant than ever. But this comes as no surprise. Those of us that help governments tackle organized crime see warning signs -- and, as of now, the situation is rapidly deteriorating.

Criminal networks from Asia have achieved global reach, controlling massive money flows that continue to expand. While governments have invested heavily in ambitious cross-border trade and infrastructure, they have not made parallel investments in public security and social protection.

Transnational organized crime groups now control multibillion-dollar "industries" and wield unprecedented influence. It is not a stretch to say that parts of the region are at risk of a takeover.

Jeremy Douglas of the UNODC (center) is seen on a Chinese patrol boat on the Mekong River between Myanmar and Laos in 2016.

Read More