Introduction and Rationale

This edited volume examines the structural integration of illicit economies into the contemporary global order and their multifaceted security implications. Challenging the perception of illicit markets as marginal criminal aberrations, the work argues that they are deeply embedded within licit economic systems and everyday social relations. Structured into three sections—conceptual frameworks, sectoral typologies, and empirical case studies—the volume offers a multidisciplinary analysis drawing from criminology, international relations, and political economy. Contributors address persistent terminological ambiguity by distinguishing between “illegal,” “illicit,” and “informal” economies, while exploring diverse sectors such as narcotics, environmental crime, and human trafficking across regions ranging from the Sahel and the Balkans to Latin America. A central thesis is that illicit economies often flourish due to governance fragility, yet simultaneously provide livelihoods and social order where formal institutions fail. Consequently, the text demonstrates that purely punitive, enforcement-based responses are frequently counterproductive. Instead, the volume advocates for holistic policies that address the socioeconomic drivers, environmental consequences, and specific vulnerabilities of marginalized groups—such as women and youth—that sustain these complex adaptive systems.