Powerful criminal networks in Southeast Asia extensively use the messaging app Telegram which has enabled a fundamental change in the way organised crime can conduct large-scale illicit activity, the United Nations said in a report on Monday.

Telegram has become a hotbed for Southeast Asian criminal networks, facilitating the sale of hacked data, malware distribution, and unregulated cryptocurrency exchanges, according to a UN report exposing

Telegram, which has nearly 1 billion users globally, has not yet commented on the UN report or charges against its founder.

The United Nations Office for Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has highlighted the extensive use of the popular messaging app Telegram by powerful criminal networks operating out of Southeast Asia. The report,

Criminal networks in Southeast Asia are using Telegram for large-scale illicit activities, says a UN report. The app allows trading of hacked data and tools for cybercrime. Telegram's boss was charged in France for this.