Illicit Economies

BP Insights is dedicated to reporting on important topics like counterfeiting, piracy, illicit trade, and national security. Our blog is recognized for providing astute commentary and in-depth analysis on issues that are relevant to brand protection professionals, law enforcement officers, national security experts, and anyone who is interested in safeguarding businesses and communities

Brand Protection

Why Understanding Illicit Trade Is Critical to Combat Terrorism

The link between illic­it trade and ter­ror­ism is well-estab­lished, with ille­gal activ­i­ties such as the traf­fick­ing of weapons, drugs, and coun­ter­feit goods often used to fund ter­ror­ist orga­ni­za­tions. How­ev­er, despite the clear and present dan­ger, the con­nec­tion between illic­it trade and ter­ror­ism is not always ful­ly under­stood. Delve into the impor­tance of under­stand­ing illic­it trade in the con­text of coun­tert­er­ror­ism efforts.

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Illicit Economies

COVID-19 and Illicit Trade: When Organized Crime and Terrorists Profit from the Pandemic

The COVID-19 pan­dem­ic has had a pro­found impact on every aspect of our lives, but it has also cre­at­ed new oppor­tu­ni­ties for orga­nized crime and ter­ror­ist groups to prof­it from illic­it trade. Explore the ways in which crim­i­nal and ter­ror­ist net­works have exploit­ed the pan­dem­ic to engage in illic­it activ­i­ties, such as the sale of coun­ter­feit med­ical sup­plies, the traf­fick­ing of drugs and weapons, and the exploita­tion of vul­ner­a­ble pop­u­la­tions.

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Illicit Economies

Blood Brothers: How Illicit Economies Facilitate Corruption

Crim­i­nal net­works use their illic­it wealth to influ­ence polit­i­cal par­ties and form part­ner­ships with pub­lic offi­cials and inter­me­di­aries, which is fuel­ing polit­i­cal cor­rup­tion. Illic­it economies affect democ­ra­cy, judi­cia­ry, eco­nom­ics, ecol­o­gy, and secu­ri­ty. Learn more about ille­gal economies and their effects.

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