A Human Trafficking expert stated that natural disasters like the cyclone in Burma/Myanmar could lead to orphaned children being trafficked and exploited.  From the AP (via IHT): Natural disasters such as the cyclone in Myanmar can put children at risk for abuse and exploitation, a human trafficking expert said Monday. Eva Biaudet, of the Organization for Security and Cooperation [...]

Total Value: $809.55 Billion Number of Contraband Products: 49 Average Products Value: $16.52 Billion The Havocscope Black Market Index tracks 49 contraband products worldwide.  The financial market and values of each products are based upon publicly available documents such as news reports and research studies. Each product or activity has each own post with a market summary and [...]

The Amazon Forest in Brazil is expected to see an increase in illegal logging after years of declines.  From the AP (via Yahoo News): Destruction of the Amazon is again on the upswing despite a recent crackdown on illegal logging, Brazil’s new environment minister said Wednesday. Carlos Minc said official calculations of how much rain forest has been [...]

Venezuela is attempting to curb losses from its citizens smuggling oil out of the country.  From Reuters:  Oil-producer Venezuela is awash in revenues from record high prices but is struggling to contain the lucrative business of smuggling subsidized fuel — the cheapest in the world. The OPEC nation says it loses 27,000 barrels per day and $1 billion [...]

Philippines terror organization Abu Sayyaf is said to be selling pirated movies to raise funds, according to movie industry officials.  From the AFP (via Goggle News): Al-Qaeda linked Islamic militants are suspected of rampant intellectual piracy in the Philippines, particularly of Hollywood films, to raise funds, a senior media industry official said Wednesday. The Abu Sayyaf, blamed for [...]

Mexico is attempting to curb the level of corruption in its police ranks that contributes to the ongoing drug war. From the Christian Science Monitor: The challenge to stem Mexico’s drug violence – which analysts increasingly compare to the situation in Colombia – escalated this month when the acting national police chief was killed at his home [...]

The border fence on the US-Mexico border continues to face problems in its development. From the New York Times: As the Department of Homeland Security pushes to complete 670 miles of fencing along the Mexican border by the end of this year, it is confronting the sharpest resistance yet while conceding that physical barriers alone do not [...]

From AFP: Nigeria has become the world piracy ‘hotspot’, with its prized oil industry a particular target, and the raiders have exposed flaws in the country’s security. Despite the massive revenues earned from oil, officials concede Nigeria is ill equipped to combat pirates who ply the seas with speed boats, modern machine guns and radios and target [...]

The anti-mafia book “Gomorra” made its film debut at the Cannes Film Festival this week. From AFP: The disturbing anti-mafia bestseller “Gomorra” that provoked death threats against its Italian author makes its debut in film form in Cannes on Sunday. Roberto Saviano’s expose of the Naples-area Camorra mafia has sold more than a million copies since the book [...]

A high-ranking commander of FARC surrendered to government authorities on Sunday, striking a blow to the guerrilla drug trafficking organization. From the LA Times: Analysts said the surrender of Nelly Avila Moreno, alias Karina, is a blow to the morale of the FARC, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, in whose ranks she fought for 24 years, [...]