Drug Trafficking

The worldwide illegal drug trade continues to flourish. Accounting for almost 1% of the world’s financial revenue, the cocaine trade alone boasts an annual turnover of an estimated $85 billion. This infographic, from Around the World: An Atlas for...

Many powerful drug gangs are operating around the world, despite victories against cartels. The Abergil family, from Israel, has been one of the world's largest exporters of ecstasy, while the Yamaguchi-gumi (Japan) hold a global membership numbering in the tens of thousands, and the Solntsevskaya Bratva are associated with the Russian Mafia. Meanwhile, the Sinaloa Cartel’s infamous El Chapo (Mexico) is often considered the world’s most powerful drug lord. And profits from cocaine importation for Italy’s 'Ndrangheta largely contribute to their estimated annual income in the tens of billions of dollars. This guide by the Guardian provides a succinct summary of the world’s most powerful drug organizations.

What motivates people to sell drugs? The “News on Drugs” series asks how people get drawn into the drug trade, unpacking the different goals and aims involved in dealing drugs. While there is a lot of focus on cartels, traffickers, and gangs...