June 2022

Illicit Markets

GUEST EDITORS Terrence Cunningham, Vince Hawkes, and Rebecca Simonelli

Illicit markets are a sophisticated global phenomenon characterized by uncontrolled and unregulated illegal trading activities carried out by shadow organizations and individuals who have mastered the art. While not a new occurrence, modern technology, mobility, and ease of communication have allowed the criminals behind illicit markets to achieve new heights.

 

Cover image courtesy of Homeland Security Investigations.

Articles

• Joining Forces

  By José Ferreira, Head of Operations, and Sjoerd Top, Executive Director, Maritime Analysis and Operations Centre – Narcotics
  On September 30, 2007, ministers from France, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, and the United Kingdom gathered in Lisbon, Portugal, not only to acknowledge the threat posed by bulk mo...

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• A Menace to Developing Economies

  By Godfrey Otunge, Assistant Inspector General, Kenya National Police Service
  The Illegal poaching of animals—and the trade of live animals and products derived from animals—is estimated to be a multibillion-dollar business. Wildlife is traded as skins, leather goods, or s...

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• From Alleyways to Online Marketplaces

  By Steve K. Francis, Acting Executive Associate Director, Homeland Security Investigations
  There are a growing number of insidious ways counterfeit and stolen goods end up in the hands of unwitting consumers, and the boundaries between legitimate and illicit markets are becoming increasingl...

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• A Seemingly Harmless Crime

  By Todd Booth, Detective, Los Angeles Police Department, California
  Intellectual property crime—a major element of transnational crime—poses a threat to three critical issues in the United States: national security, public health, and the economy. Although not eve...

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