English 121
Drug Trafficking
All over the world there are different types of trafficking crimes committed every day. Whether it is sex, human, or weapon trafficking, all types are a serious crime and maintain a constant occurrence everyday. Besides those three types of trafficking, there is one in particular that happens all over the world and seems to make more of a statement than anything else, drug trafficking. The reason that it gains more attention than anything else is because it involves more ordinary people, and is extremely easy to come in contact with. Drug trafficking has estimated yearly revenue of over $400 Billion (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime). That is not even comparable when you consider weapon trafficking has yearly revenue of approximately $50 billion and is second behind drug trafficking. Not only is it important to understand exactly what drug trafficking is and consist of, it is important to know exactly where drug trafficking is taking place and know the penalties for drug trafficking for any future referencing.
First of all, drug trafficking is a globalized illicit trade. What this means is that it is a crime that causes direct human, social, political, or environmental harm. By being an illicit trade, drug trafficking is involved with the cultivation, manufacture, distribution and sale of substances that are subject to drug prohibition laws. Though drug trafficking is illegal, it is a major part of the world’s global economy (Van Solinge). With the amount of revenue drug trafficking brings in each year, the United Nations has reported that it accounts for about eight percent of the total international trade. In comparison, it represents about the same percentage of goods internationally traded from China to Wal-Mart. Within the revenue that is made each year are cold-hearted criminals who have no respect for the law. Even with drugs being illegal, people manage to traffic and conceal cocaine, heroin,...