A new National Geographic Special, Illicit: The Dark Trade, is not just about smuggling or crime, it's about how these criminal networks are changing the world. Illicit trade has increasingly dangerous political consequences: money laundering, massive corruption and the subversion of entire governments. It is changing how we live in ways unrealized, and governments around the world seem powerless to stop it. Illicit trade is redefining economic relationships, borders and the role of workers, managers, armies and governments.

The National Geographic Special reveals how hidden criminal networks cost untold numbers of jobs, kill and maim thousands of people and breed violence and corruption. The film also focuses on the role technology plays in both enabling and disabling illicit trade, and raises questions about whether authorities have coherent strategies to combat this new phenomenon. In revealing how consumers are often themselves complicit in illegal trade, Illicit: The Dark Trade provides a timely look into a shadowy world that is relevant to viewers