The World Customs Organization (WCO) has just published its latest Illicit Trade Report 2024, offering a comprehensive analysis of the dynamics and evolving trends behind a phenomenon that is a growing concern to governments and law-abiding retailers worldwide. This edition underscores the complexity and adaptability of transnational criminal networks, highlighting impacts on public safety, global security, and sustainable development.

The illicit trade in excise goods, primarily tobacco and alcohol products, poses significant challenges to governments’ efforts to secure global supply chains and deprives them of essential revenue required for public services. The report shows that increasingly sophisticated smuggling techniques and distribution networks are complicating enforcement efforts.

In 2024, a total of 109 WCO Members reported approximately 85,000 cases involving the illicit trade in alcohol and tobacco products, including more than 46,000 tobacco-related cases, a 21% rise compared to 2023. Cases related to alcohol products increased by 28% to 2,900.

Additionally, more than 55,000 individual seizure records were entered into the system in 2024, up from 48,000 in 2023.

The global duty free industry reiterates its support for the efforts of the WCO and Customs authorities worldwide to tackle illicit trade – a sector that damages brands and retailers, and causes harm to consumers.

Read the full report here.