10 Most Profitable Trades That Are Illegal


2. Timber

This trade constitutes about 30 percent of the timber trade spread across the globe. Illegal logging is not only causing global warming but also threatens the existence of endangered species. It is destroying the natural habitat of most of the rare wildlife species. The danger of this trade is coupled with smuggling of drugs in which cocaine is being hidden inside the trees and transported across countries. About $10 to $15 dollar is generated every year from timber smuggling.

3. Organs

This is probably one of the cruelest trades one could get into. The illegal organ trade is getting traction in Asian and Middle Eastern countries with desperate ‘donors’ giving up their organs for as little as $5000 to distressed ‘recipients’ paying as much $200,000 or more. The most commonly traded organ is kidney since a person could survive with one. According to a study carried out by World Health Organization, about 10,000 people annually undergo operations to extract organs with or without the patient’s consent. It is a multi-billion dollar market.

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