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The most unbelievable products sold on the black market: From sand to human hair
🇬🇷 Greece /Economy & Trade

The most unbelievable products sold on the black market: From sand to human hair

From Ta Nea · () Greek

Translated from Greek, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

In-depth Named sources Context piece
  • The black market includes a wide variety of unusual items beyond drugs or stolen goods.
  • Examples include sand from beaches, cemetery soil, and luxury brand discards.
  • The trade in these items is driven by scarcity, illegal use, or perceived value.

The illicit global market extends far beyond conventional contraband like drugs or stolen data, encompassing an astonishing array of items driven by scarcity, unique utility, or dubious value. According to ODDEE, this "black market" thrives on the difficulty of obtaining certain goods legally or their specialized, often illicit, applications.

One surprising commodity is sand, a crucial component for concrete production. Declining high-quality reserves worldwide have led to illegal mining operations, with "sand thieves" reportedly stealing entire beaches, such as Winnifred Beach in Jamaica in 2022.

The black market is not limited to drugs, stolen items, or hacked data. Instead, it hosts an incredible variety of items that gain value due to the difficulty of finding them or their illegal use.

— ODDEEAn explanation of the scope of the black market.

Cemetery soil is another item with a dark trade, considered a potent magical ingredient in some cultures. Despite taboos, it's illegally sold for black magic rituals or superstitious practices. Even in the West, "ethically sourced" cemetery soil is marketed in New Age stores, though its provenance is unverifiable.

In some cases, so-called 'sand thieves' remove entire beaches. A characteristic example is the theft of Winnifred beach in Jamaica in 2022.

— ODDEEDescribing the illegal mining of sand.

In China, fireflies are a popular but illegal trade, not for medicinal purposes but to create atmospheric effects at events. During the Qixi Festival, the Chinese equivalent of Valentine's Day, jars of fireflies are released, with the trade continuing despite government restrictions.

Luxury brands also see their discards become valuable. Counterfeiters seek authentic logos from discarded items to create convincing fakes, leading many companies to destroy unsold products. Even manhole covers are stolen for their scrap metal value. In India, poachers target endangered monitor lizards for their genitals, marketed as "Hatha Jodi," a non-existent plant root with supposed magical properties.

In China, fireflies are a popular but illegal commodity. They are not used for medical purposes, but to create an impressive atmosphere at events.

— ODDEEExplaining the illegal trade of fireflies in China.

The market for human hair is particularly lucrative, with wig makers paying high prices for quality hair, especially blonde or red. In some regions, hair is sourced from temples as offerings or even from the deceased, making the trade controversial. Disney's Disability Access Service (DAS) passes, intended for individuals with disabilities to bypass queues, are also illegally sold to third parties, with the original pass holder often accompanying the group as a "companion" to avoid suspicion.

The market for human hair is particularly profitable. Wig manufacturers pay large sums for quality hair, especially blonde or red.

— ODDEEDetailing the lucrative trade in human hair.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Ta Nea in Greek. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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