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E-commerce becoming a primary conduit for global illicit trade: WCO’s flagship Illicit Trade Report finds

• WCO’s annual Illicit Trade Report for 2025 (ITR 2025) compiles the results of Customs operations and enforcement actions around the world.
• Rise of e-commerce as a significant channel for illicit trade, accounting for close to 50% of all ITR cases reported globally.
• Over 60% of reported cases involving counterfeit goods, counterfeit medical products and cannabis detected through parcel and postal delivery systems.
• Surge in fentanyl and New Psychoactive Substances (NPS) being trafficked through e-commerce channels, with reported seizures of NPS doubling from 2024.

The Illicit Trade Report (ITR) transforms front-line enforcement data into strategic intelligence – based on data from 163,850 cases from 170 reporting Customs administrations. The ITR 2025 highlights evolving dynamics, emerging trends and the wide-ranging impact of illicit trade observed through WCO Members’ Customs enforcement activities. The data captured reflects seizures shared by WCO Members through the Customs Enforcement Network (CEN) as well as seizures reported during WCO operations. Key results for the 2025 edition, categorized by six strategic enforcement areas, include:

• Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing: 10,538 cases and 12,261 seizures from 87 reporting administrations. Cash smuggling dominated overwhelmingly with 95.5% of seizures, followed by trafficking in gold (4.2%) and gemstones (0.3%).
• Drugs: 67,757 cases across 146 administrations. Seizures included cannabis – 548.8 tonnes; psychotropic substances – 186.8 tonnes; cocaine – 400.1 tonnes; and opioids and opiates – 24.3 tonnes.
• Environmental Crime: 4,803 environmentally sensitive commodity seizures registered, including waste, ivory, wildlife and plants from 123 administrations.
• Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) and Health and Safety: 42,026 cases and 82,596 seizures from 110 administrations. IPR products dominated with 35,759 cases (85.1%) and 74,389 seizures, with medical products amounting to 6,267 cases (14.9%) and 8,207 seizures.
• Revenue:34,236 cases and 40,744 seizures reported by 120 administrations. Tobacco accounted for 92.2% of cases (31,571), along with 674 tonnes of e-cigarettes seized.
• Security: weapons trafficking made up 86.9% of security cases, alongside emerging streams covering explosives and unmanned aerial systems (UAS) making up 653 cases.

The WCO Secretary General, Ian Saunders, said: “Illicit trade is growing in scale, sophistication and reach, while also threatening economies, public safety and global supply chains. The WCO Illicit Trade Report for 2025 underscores the critical value of intelligence-sharing, data-driven analysis and risk profiling in identifying emerging threats. The growing misuse of e-commerce, postal and courier networks by criminal actors signals a fundamental shift in how illicit goods are distributed – one that demands agile, intelligence-led and forward-looking responses from Customs administrations.”

Fentanyl and synthetic drugs are changing the seizure landscape

Fentanyl seizures accounted for 30.6% of opioid seizures (772) in 2025, with significant enforcement implications. Fentanyl shipments are smaller, more potent and harder to detect by weight alone. Fentanyl delivers lethal doses measurable in micrograms. Targeting, risk profiles and detection methods used for bulk drug shipments such as cocaine and heroin must be adapted for smaller seizure weights that have the potential for significant public harm.

Both fentanyl and NPS are increasingly being trafficked through e-commerce channels. Seizures of NPS doubled in comparison with 2024 to reach 7,721 cases, with the majority of these being shipped by mail or courier given the size and weight of the packages. They made up 70.2% of regular mail conveyance (cases), 78.9% of in-mail concealment (seizures), 49.2% of mail centre location type (cases), and 81.9% of e-commerce (cases) – the highest among all drug categories. NPS enforcement requires postal risk profiling tools, postal operator partnerships, and advance electronic data from shippers, rather than airport narcotics interdiction teams alone.

E-commerce shipments require Customs focus

E-commerce now accounts for 44.8% of all ITR cases globally, establishing it as a significant logistics channel for all types of illicit trade. Parcel and postal delivery systems are being used for the shipment of counterfeit goods (68.2% of cases) and counterfeit medical products (65.1%). Reporting Customs administrations detected 62.6% of cannabis cases through these channels, 23.9% of environmental crime cases, and 23.6% of security cases, including guns, restricted drones and tactical equipment.

The emerging drone enforcement challenge

UAS accounted for 11.9% of security cases (653 cases) in 2025. The detection and seizure of drones have highlighted challenges that span regulatory compliance (frequency, altitude and range specifications) and security risks (modified or military-specification systems). UAS should be viewed by Customs and law enforcement as an emerging, product-specific area of security enforcement that requires technical awareness and specialized assessment to prevent the illegal distribution of these highly dangerous goods.

Risk-profiling and use of WCO tools pay off

Risk-profiling was the most effective detection tool with the ITR reporting 84% of IPR cases, 79.6% of weapons detections, and 65% of wildlife and timber cases as the result of proactive targeting and risk-profiling by Customs administrations. Intelligence- and information-sharing enables Customs administrations to adapt risk profiles to emerging trends rather than relying on routine inspections to intercept illicit trade. For drug enforcement detections, risk profiling is also the most successful marker. Using systematic targeting based on data-driven risk indicators is a key tool in the fight against organized crime.

The CEN allows WCO Members to exchange intelligence and information enabling Members to analyse data, produce precise risk indicators, identify significant trends and develop robust enforcement strategies. It is an indispensable tool for Customs cooperation and information-sharing.

Turning data into collective action

Every day, Customs administrations stand on the front line against illicit trade, intercepting protected, dangerous and illegal goods before they can cause harm to people, public health and the environment. The findings of the ITR 2025 underscore the critical role of Customs in safeguarding society and reveal the growing complexity of the threat landscape.

The ITR highlights not only the increasing complexity of the threat landscape, but also the tangible results that can be achieved through collective action. By strengthening partnerships, sharing intelligence through the CEN and coordinating enforcement efforts, Customs administrations around the world are enhancing their ability to protect communities and facilitate legitimate trade.

Looking forward, sustained collaboration will be essential to staying ahead of emerging threats. Through its continued support, capacity-building initiatives and global information-sharing platforms, the WCO remains committed to empowering its Members and fostering a united response to illicit trade. Together, Customs administrations, law enforcement agencies, international organizations and industry will continue to play an indispensable role in safeguarding society, strengthening global security and ensuring the integrity of international trade.

Data reported by Customs administrations

The 2025 edition draws on seizure data relating to offences recorded during the 2025 reporting year and describes the illicit trade patterns recorded by the CEN as at 31 March 2026. These figures are not a complete measurement of global illicit trade. A total of 163,850 cases were reported to the CEN in 2025, including 60 cases reported by non-Member administrations.

(Source: https://www.wcoomd.org/en/media/newsroom/2026/july/ecommerce-becoming-a-primary-conduit-for-global-illicit-trade.aspx)