Legal Definitions - trafficking

Trafficking refers to the unlawful movement, buying, or selling of prohibited items or individuals.

• Example 1: A criminal organization illegally harvests rare timber from protected forests in one country and then arranges for its shipment and sale to furniture manufacturers in another country, bypassing all environmental regulations and export laws.

  Explanation: This scenario illustrates trafficking because it involves the unlawful movement ("shipment") and selling ("sale") of prohibited items ("rare timber from protected forests") that are subject to strict legal restrictions.

• Example 2: A network of individuals obtains stolen credit card information and then uses it to purchase high-value electronics in bulk, which they then transport across state lines to resell for cash, effectively laundering the proceeds of the initial theft.

  Explanation: This demonstrates trafficking through the unlawful movement ("transport across state lines") and selling ("resell for cash") of items acquired through illegal means ("stolen credit card information"), making the electronics themselves, in this context, prohibited goods.

• Example 3: An individual operates a clandestine laboratory producing counterfeit pharmaceuticals, which are then distributed through an underground network to various illicit online pharmacies and street vendors across multiple jurisdictions.

  Explanation: This situation exemplifies trafficking as it involves the unlawful creation and subsequent distribution ("movement") and selling ("online pharmacies and street vendors") of prohibited items ("counterfeit pharmaceuticals") that are illegal to manufacture and sell.