Financing Terror: Trade in Counterfeit Products

In the last two decades, the identification and analysis of the sources that allow terrorist groups to finance their activities have become a key priority. This chapter aims to provide an overview of what is known about the nexus between terrorist groups and this illicit trade, as well as to provide some criminological hints on how to push forward the existing knowledge on this topic and to pave the way for the elaboration of possible counteractions and preventive measures. In-depth and empirical knowledge is crucial for the identification of the most appropriate preventive measures and counteractions to implement. Examples provided in this chapter confirm that terrorists seek a way to fund their operations rationally, on the basis of convenience, stealth, and environment-wide opportunities. The choice of which technique (or, more often, of which set of techniques) to implement depends on the characteristics of the offence that needs tackling, as well as on the specific environment in which it takes place.