E-Commerce and Digital Marketplaces Remain Significant Conduits for Illicit Trade (ICAIE)

Illicit trade has evolved into a more sophisticated, lucrative global illegal economy especially across today’s digital marketplaces, that yields criminals and illicit networks at least $2 trillion every year.

In summer 2026, the World Customs Organization (WCO), reported that the rise of e-commerce was a significant channel for illicit trade, accounting for close to 50% of all ITR cases reported globally. Parcel and postal delivery systems are being used for the shipment of counterfeit goods in 68.2% of all reported cases, according to the WCO’s Illicit Trade Report   (ITR), based on data from 163,850 cases from 170 reporting Customs administrations.

You can also learn more about how criminals are accelerating Global Illicit Trade by exploiting digital assets, trade finance fraud, and other emerging transaction laundering schemes in our Spring 2026 ICAIE Executive Report “.