Illegal drug trade

The illegal drug trade or drug trafficking is a global black market and includes the growing, making, distribution, and sale of illegal drugs. While some drugs are legal to possess and sell, in most areas laws do not allow the trade of some drugs.

Trade in drugs includes many which, correctly used, have a medical function.

Those drugs often include heroin, cocaine, marijuana or others. Drug traffickers may be punished with time in prison for several years. In some countries, the crime carries the death penalty.

Main heroin-producing countries in the world (colored in red)

Map of International illegal drug connections

Drug trafficking air routes monitored by the US Southern Command

Punishment

Several countries use the death penalty to punish people for drug trafficking.

• Afghanistan
• Bangladesh
• Brunei
• China
• Egypt
• Indonesia
• Iran
• Iraq
• Kuwait
• Laos
• Malaysia
• Oman
• Pakistan
• Saudi Arabia
• Singapore
• Somalia
• Sri Lanka
• Taiwan
• Thailand
• Vietnam
• United Arab Emirates
• Zimbabwe

Related pages

• Corruption
• Golden Crescent
• Organized crime
• Smuggling
• Money laundering
• Drug cartel
• Rum-running

Other websites

• News, information, laws and photos of illegal drugs, narcotics and drug trafficking
• United Nations - Drug Programme Archived 2007-11-13 at the Wayback Machine
• Geopium: Geopolitics of Illicit Drugs in Asia Archived 2019-04-02 at the Wayback Machine (English and French)
• United Nations World Drug Report Archived 2007-11-06 at the Wayback Machine
• Illicit drug issues by country, by the CIA Archived 2010-12-29 at the Wayback Machine