PART I
The Provision of Illicit Goods
Volume 1, Part I begins with what many consider to be the most widely
known and publicly discussed type of transnational crime: the traffick-
ing of illicit drugs. This crime is the subject of tremendous public, and
scholarly, attention both on the North American continent and globally.
Our authors navigate the process explaining that the process is growth,
production, and finally transportation. Complicating matters, illicit drug
source ingredient countries are geographically distanced from the pri-
mary consumers of the final product and the process is geographically de-
manding requiring a diverse selection of equipment, other products and
chemicals, and often secure and remote environments.
Chapter 2 continues the discussion of providing illicit goods with a thor-
ough presentation of modern day maritime piracy. This chapter begins
with a discussion of practical and legal definitions of piracy, then exam-
ines the scope of the international maritime piracy problem, and discusses
the major trends in piracy over the last several decades. Finally, Chapter 2
concludes with a few basic suggestions for policy improvements to con-
tain the security challenges posed by maritime piracy.
In Chapter 3, readers will discover the world of fraudulent medicine.
Across the globe, and particularly in developing nations were those in
need struggle to afford medication, fraudulent versions of prescription
medication is a serious concern. Kennedy explains the nature of fraudu-
lent medicines, who is most effected, and the size and scope of the prob-
lem from production through distribution.
The “gray markets” of trading in illicit antiquities is presented and dis-
cussed in Chapter 4. The illicit antiquities trade shares many elements
similar to other transnational criminal markets in terms of structure and
functioning. But it is also unique in that trading in antiquities is legal,
but the means by which antiquities are usually procured are often illegal.
Thus, many antiquities on the market today have undergone a transfor-
mation in status from illicit to licit, turning the matter from a clear-cut,
black-and-white one to a murky shade of gray.
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