The Illegal Empire: Following the Money Behind Illicit Nicotine

By Hayley van Loon, CEO, Crime Stoppers International

When we think about the sale of illegal nicotine products, it's tempting to frame it as a regulatory nuisance, a problem of tax evasion or brand infringement. But that framing misses the far more dangerous truth. Behind every counterfeit cigarette, every smuggled vape, and every illicit nicotine product sold on a street corner or through an online marketplace, there is a criminal enterprise profiting at an enormous scale, and the human cost is staggering.

At Crime Stoppers International, we see the full picture. The illicit nicotine trade is not a standalone problem. It is one thread in a vast criminal web, what we call the Illegal Empire that connects organised crime networks, terrorist financing, human trafficking, modern slavery, and corruption across borders and continents.

The numbers alone should alarm us. Governments worldwide lose an estimated US$50 billion annually in tax revenue from illicit cigarettes alone. That is funding that should be building hospitals, schools, and critical infrastructure. Instead, it flows directly into the hands of criminal organisations that are sophisticated, ruthless, and highly adaptable. For these networks, the product itself is almost irrelevant. Whether it is nicotine, counterfeit medicines, fake luxury goods, or illegal weapons, they follow the money, choosing whatever commodity offers the greatest profit against the lowest risk of prosecution.

And the harm extends far beyond lost tax revenue. Illicit trade fuels a cascade of criminality. The same networks trafficking illegal nicotine products are often involved in human trafficking, wildlife crime, and the funding of terrorist groups. Communities are destabilised. Legitimate businesses are undercut, unable to compete fairly, invest in jobs, or contribute to local economies. The rule of law is eroded.

Perhaps most troubling is the perception that illicit trade is a victimless crime. It is anything but. The World Health Organization estimates that counterfeit medicines alone contribute to more than one million deaths each year and this is not a problem confined to developing nations. The OECD reports that health damage from fake medicines is almost equally distributed between developed and developing countries. When organised crime infiltrates supply chains, no one is immune.

Educating consumers therefore is an essential part of what we do at Crime Stoppers International. The Illegal Empire video now hosted by The Transnational Alliance to Combat Illicit Trade, is just one example of a powerful visual account we produced to show the public who truly profits from the global illicit trade and the devastating ripple effects it has on communities, economies, and lives around the world.

The original concept started, as many things do, with a late night and an idea. I built the first version myself on Canva, and thanks to JTI's support, that concept was brought to life and transformed into the visceral, compelling video it is today. It cuts through the complexity to deliver a clear message: when consumers purchase illicit products, they are not getting a harmless bargain. They are funding an empire built on exploitation and violence.

I will be screening the Illegal Empire video at the World Nicotine Congress as part of the Illicit Trade panel, alongside experts Jindřich Vobořil, Howard Pugh, and Vincent Byrne, moderated by Brett O'Donnell. Together, we will examine the mechanics of illicit trade, the criminal networks that drive it, and critically what can be done to fight back.

Because fighting illicit trade requires exactly what Crime Stoppers has always championed: collaboration. No single government, law enforcement agency, or industry body can dismantle these networks alone. It requires intelligence sharing, public awareness, cross-border cooperation, and the courage of ordinary citizens willing to speak up.

If there is a demand for an illicit product, organised crime will find a way to supply it. Our job collectively is to disrupt that supply, expose the criminal profiteers, and ensure communities understand that behind every cheap, illegal product lies an empire of harm.

The Illegal Empire is real. It is time we all saw it for what it is.

Hayley van Loon is CEO of Crime Stoppers International and will be speaking on the Illicit Trade panel at the World Nicotine Congress.