214 elephants were killed by poachers in Kenya in 2009, up from 47 elephants killed in 2007.

Source:  AFP, “African countries set for new fight over ivory sales,” Google News, December 22, 2009.

According to US Government estimates, the illegal drug industry in Mexico directly employs 450,000 people.

Source:  Philip Caputo, “The Fall of Mexico,” The Atlantic, December 2009.

Global premiums paid for Kidnapping and Ransom insurance polices totals to $300 Million.

Roughly three-quarters of Fortune 500 companies carry some form of kidnapping and ransom insurance.

Source:  Nicholas Schmidle, “The Hostage Business,” New York Times, December 6, 2009.

From 2006 to 2009, American insurance company Chubb Group reported a 15 to 20 percent increase in the number of kidnapping and ransom insurance policies.

Source:  Nicholas Schmidle, “The Hostage Business,” New York Times, December 6, 2009.

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime reported that at the end of 2009, the value of opium produced in Afghanistan was $2.8 Billion, down from $3.4 Billion in 2008.

The value of the opium trade in Afghanistan represents up to a quarter of the country’s GDP.

Source:  “Afghan Opium Survey: export value of Afghan opium is falling,” UNODC, December 17, 2009.

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime reported that the potential value of Burma’s 2009 opium production was $104 Million, down 15 percent from the $123 Million value in 2008.

Source:  “Myanmar rebels grow more opium to buy arms – report,” Reuters, December 14, 2009.

Economic activity from illegal drug trafficking consists up to 10 percent of Mexico’s GDP, according to estimates by security analysts in the country.

Source: Associated Press, “AP IMPACT: US drug war crackdown misses the money,” Google News, December 17, 2009.

The Associated Press reported that US Law Enforcement Authorities are only able to seize $0.25 out of every $100 that Mexico Drug Cartels profits.

The AP based their figure on the estimated $25 Billion a year in drug proceeds that the drug cartels control with the $61 Million that the US Treasury seized ($3 million frozen and $58 million in cash seized from raids).

Source:  Associated Press, “AP IMPACT: US drug war crackdown misses the money,” Google News, December 17, 2009.

According to the World Bank, illegal logging activities in Albania exceeds legal logging by a factor of 10.

Source:  Elvis Nabolli, “Illegal Logging Ravages Albania’s Forests,” Balkan Insight, December 16, 2009.

Experts believe that up to 90 percent of all coca harvested in Peru ends up as cocaine, with the remaining coca used as tea or chewed as a mild stimulant.

Source:  Terry Wade, “Cocaine and rebels haunt Peru’s remote jungle,” Reuters, December 15, 2009.