In this video, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime follows individual Euro bills as they are used illicitly, ultimately showing the annual $870 billion proceeds from criminal networks. The filmed transactions highlight profits by counterfeiting, illicit drug trafficking, human trafficking, and trading illegal arms.  The UNODC also captures the impact of this underground economy on human peace and security.

Citing Global Financial Integrity’s February 2011 estimates of transnational crime in the developing world, UNODC has reported that

“the largest sources [of illicitly flown crime proceeds] were illicit drugs, accounting for 50% of the total, followed by counterfeiting (39%), human trafficking (5%) and the illicit oil trade (2%). The individual proportions of all other sectors amounted to 1% of the total or less.”

UNODC advocates for criminalizing organized crime group membership and assists national authorities in curbing this sort of activity.

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