The World Customs Organization (WCO) issues its 2019 Illicit Trade Report (ITR), an annual publication which offers a comprehensive study of illicit trade flows through an in-depth analysis of seizure data and case studies voluntarily submitted by Member Customs administrations worldwide.

The information captured in the ITR provides essential insight into the occurrences of illicit trade, thereby assisting Customs administrations in understanding trends and patters and making enlightened decisions to secure cross-border trade. The importance of comprehensive data analysis is indisputably a key component to support effective and efficient Customs enforcement activities.

This year, the analysis provided in this Report is based on data collected from 137 Member administrations and the report consists of six sections: Cultural Heritage; Drugs; Environment; IPR, Health and Safety; Revenue and Security.

For the fourth year in a row, the WCO has partnered with the Center for Advanced Defense Studies (C4ADS), a Washington, D.C.-based non-profit organization dedicated to providing data-driven analysis and evidence-based reporting, thereby enriching readers’ experience with advanced data visualization technologies and enhanced data analysis.

"Even though data collection is still a major challenge, I am pleased to note the progress with regard to our Members’ understanding of the importance of capturing and sharing quality data in order to develop effective enforcement strategies,” said WCO Secretary General Dr. Kunio Mikuriya. He also expressed his gratitude to Customs administrations having reported their seizure data in the WCO CEN database.