International Journal on Criminology Volume 2, Number 2, Fall 2014 | Page 4

Global human environment: counterfeit
drugs, fertilisers, health products;
forced labour; theft of protected animal
and plant species; etc. 4
C. There is extensive agreement on who is
responsible for illicit trade and who benefits
from such practices: Who runs this illicit
trade? Is this illegal economy a spontaneous
generation phenomenon? No, “transnational
networks... criminal entrepreneurs...illicit
traders.”
The various documents analysed
here clearly identify those responsible for
undermining the global economy: “Actors
involved in illicit trade activities...illicit/
criminal transnational networks/traders...
lethal nexus of organized crime, narco-trafficking
and terrorism...transnational organized
crime, etc.”
As for the reasons for the phenomenon:
“Economic globalization created opportunities
for criminal networks to increase
profits... both the scale and the geographical
scope of this phenomenon being unprecedented...
A clear and present danger.”
D. There is also general agreement on the end
goal of the TF-CIT: “Make things better in the
future... counter or mitigate the operations
of transnational organized crime... Identify
and quantify risks and harms related to illicit
trade activities...We must shut down the
illegal economy and criminalized markets
and put criminal entrepreneurs and illicit
networks out of business...reduce, monitor,
control or otherwise prevent illicit trade,
at the level of production, transit and consumption.”
International Journal on Criminology
E. There is also broad agreement on the manner
in which the TF-CIT should achieve its end
goal and diagnose the situation in a timely
manner: “[We need] to identify and quantify
risks and harms related to illicit trade
activities that generate revenue for a global
illegal economy... a clearer understanding of
the economic, geographic, technological and
policy conditions that drive or enable it...
tools to combat illicit trade and transnational
networks.”
(a) Diagnoses: “Identify the broad scope
of illicit trade activities, of vulnerabilities...
evidence-based research...quantify
the market value of illicit trade activities...Fill
the knowledge gaps...measure
the true economic cost of illicit trade to
business... Enhance detection capabilities...map,
measure, monitor, manage
and mitigate future harms of the illegal
economy.”
(b) Action: “Further international efforts
and coordinate forces...Exchange
of information...Data & information
sharing... Concrete actions.”
2. Areas Requiring Further Expansion and
Greater Clarification
According to the available literature
on “illicit trade activities”—and on
what the concept covers and causes,
what it stems from and why it is currently so
successful—it seems appropriate to go beyond
the aforementioned initiatives to add a
number of more detailed points designed to
help the TF-CIT avoid subsequent analytical
problems in terms of mapping illicit trade
and in defining relevant punitive measures.
The TF-CIT targets the “global illegal
economy and transnational criminal markets”,
which are “trafficking drugs, arms, toxic
waste, stolen natural resources, counterfeit
goods, protected animal parts, etc.”
However, illicit trafficking of illicit
goods is only part of the problem. The issue
is also compounded by illicit trafficking of
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The Mortgage Introducer, 7/02/13—“Latest fraud figures should sound alarm bells."
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