Illicit trade involves goods and services that are deemed illegal as they threaten communities and society as a whole. Illicit trade has a negative impact on economic stability, social welfare, public health, public safety, and our environment. Examples include:
- Health & Safety—narcotics, fake medicines and foods, and defective materials
- Environment—endangerment of wildlife, such as elephant and rhinoceros poaching, and rain forests through illegal environmental crimes
- Exploitation—forced human trafficking, prostitution, and slavery
- Terrorism—financing criminality and terrorism
- Government—reduction of tax revenues and legitimate employment.
According to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, “The global economy loses more than $2 trillion USD annually due to smuggling, counterfeiting, trafficking of humans and wildlife, and other forms of illicit trade that hold back progress on the global development agenda.”
You can anonymously report illicit trade without the fear of retribution using the Crime Stoppers Global Solutions TCI tips app, available for Apple and Android devices.
