Authors: Richard Schoeberl, Jeff Bollettieri and Bill Loucks, Hope for Justice U.S.
The profitability of human trafficking and drug trafficking makes them a desirable pairing for transnational criminal organizations seeking to increase profits and market control. The International Labour Organization estimated that human trafficking was a $236 billion-a-year business in 2021. Actual illegal drug trade profits are largely unknown due to the trade’s illicit nature. However, a 2014 report from Global Financial Integrity, a Washington, DC-based think tank focusing on illicit financial flows, corruption, illicit trade, and money laundering, has estimated the global illegal drug market between $426 and $652 billion.
Originally published in the journal Domestic Preparedness, June 2024.
