[Vigilanteman]

That too. But not so much the boxes of cereal or macaroni and cheese. They have to be kept in a relatively clean environment to avoid insect or rodent damage. There is a very large underground economy which resembles the above ground economy in many ways. Only they are using warehouses as distribution points which don't have the same insect, rodent, climate control standards in place as the above ground economy.

Canned foods are the favorite, especially meats. A bud of mine in the FBI once broke up a ring which was hijacking and selling mostly canned tuna-fish. Long shelf life, durable packaging, relatively small size, national brand names and not so easy to trace.

The amateurs, of course, go after anything to turn a quick buck. The pros are a lot more selective.

I sometimes wonder if some of that really bargained priced canned goods which you can buy at places like Big Lots have been laundered through such a system. We're talking big business here. My bud in the FBI says they think is may be conservatively about 20% of the size of the above ground economy. More generous estimates range as high as 50%. That's one hell of a lot of taxes which are being evaded . . . and a number which can only grow as the government's take increases.

[GeronL]

During the communist famines it was the underground “black” market that kept some families from starving to death. Especially in North Korea in the mid-90’s where a saying developed that those who trusted the government the most were the first to starve (waiting for the government to help)

NK is in another commie famine now.