The Illegal Empire - A TRACIT Awareness Campaign on the Dangers of Illicit Trade

Stop the Illegal Empire is a public awareness campaign exposing the hidden horrors behind illicit trade. Through this strategic partnership and evidence-based messaging, TRACIT amplifies the campaign’s reach and equips governments, businesses, and the public with the tools to fight back against the illegal economy.

Stop the Illegal Empire - Campaign Video

This campaign video exposes the real costs of illicit trade. What may appear as harmless fake goods are often linked to smuggling, human trafficking, forced labor, and child sexual exploitation. 

UK Campaign Sectors

This campaign shines a spotlight on the hidden dangers of everyday products that are often counterfeited or sold illegally. By exposing the scale and impact of illicit trade across these sectors, the campaign raises public awareness and calls for stronger action to protect consumers, workers, and economies.

Tobacco

Governments lose over $40 billion in tax because of fake tobacco products.

Fashion

The fashion industry loses $26 billion to fakes each year.

Alcohol

This year, over 25% of alcohol purchases were from the Illegal Empire.

Watches

Fake Swiss watches are a $3.5 billion market each year.

Tyres & Batteries

The fake battery and tyre trade is worth €2.4 billion in the EU alone.

Cosmetics

​The Illegal Empire makes $5.4 billion a year via counterfeit cosmetics.

Electricals

The Illegal Empire makes $100 billion a year in counterfeit electricals.

Streaming

​This year, the Illegal Empire got 230 billion illegal streaming views.

Toys

​The fake toy industry is worth $32 billion a year.

The Societal Costs of Illicit
Trade

Money Talks: The Crooked Connection Between Corruption and Illicit Trade

Corruption undermines law enforcement operations to detect or interrupt illicit trade and contributes to the impunity of illicit traders. Fortifying policies and controls to prevent corruption s is critical for the integrity of the global supply chain.

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The Human Cost of Illicit Trade

Illicit trade creates demand for forced and child labor. Women, children and men of all ages and ethnicities are abused by organized criminals pursuing clandestine profits. TRACIT's report finds that ending these human rights abuses will only be possible by eradicating illicit trade ​ 

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The Link Between Illicit Trade​ and Sovereign Credit Ratings

There is a statistically significant and positive correlation between the Global Illicit Trade Environment Index and the credit ratings assigned by the major international rating agencies.Correcting the regulatory environment and economic circumstances that enable illicit trade can improve sovereign credit ratings and reduce the cost of raising capital.

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Mapping the Impact of Illicit Trade on the Sustainable Development Goals​​

TRACIT evaluates the impact of illicit trade on the 17 UN SDGs. Illicit trade compromises the attainment of the UN SDGs in significant ways, crowding out legitimate economic activity, depriving governments of revenues, dislocating legitimate jobs and causing irreversible damage to ecosystems and human lives.