WPS 2025 Mark Koss: We Can Outsmart Traffickers with Real-Time Intelligence and Trust

a&s Middle East: From your experience, what are the most critical vulnerabilities in financial systems that traffickers exploit to sustain modern slavery?

Koss: Traffickers thrive where oversight is weak. They exploit informal systems like hawala, shell companies that hide true owners, and trade-based money laundering to quietly move money. Prepaid cards, mobile wallets, and certain cryptocurrencies add another layer of anonymity that makes tracking harder. On top of that, inconsistent KYC standards and weak due diligence create cracks they slip through. When these gaps mix with regulatory loopholes and poor coordination between agencies, traffickers have all the cover they need to keep moving funds and scaling their operations unnoticed.

a&s Middle East: How can partnerships between public agencies and private financial institutions be strengthened to more effectively trace and disrupt the money flow behind human trafficking networks?

Koss: Partnerships work best when they move past regulatory box-ticking and become real collaborations. Financial institutions need clear patterns and indicators so they can flag suspicious activity early. Joint task forces, shared intelligence, and training help close the gap between what banks see and law enforcement needs.

But barriers still exist. Institutions need the green light and protection to share intelligence without fearing legal blowback. Regulators play a big role here. They must create clear rules that protect good-faith efforts. Ultimately, this is about trust and teamwork. When those are in place, we can truly disrupt trafficking money flows.

a&s Middle East: What role does blockchain analytics or AI-driven monitoring play in detecting trafficking-related financial activity?

Koss: Technology is reshaping the fight. Blockchain analytics make it harder for traffickers to hide behind cryptocurrency by tracking transactions across public ledgers. AI helps financial institutions scan billions of data points to spot odd patterns, from microtransactions to suspicious behavior.

AI can now even flag trafficking indicators in online chats, recruitment posts, and dark web discussions. Network analysis connects the dots faster than ever before. But traffickers are moving fast, too. If we don’t invest in advanced AI now, we’ll stay behind. This isn’t optional – it’s essential if we want to get ahead of organized trafficking networks.

a&s Middle East: What are the most significant challenges to public-private cooperation in cross-border investigations, and how have you seen them successfully overcome?

Koss: Cross-border work is still incredibly difficult. Different countries have different laws, definitions of trafficking, and privacy rules, which can slow down or block the sharing of critical information. Too often, teams wait for formal agreements, losing valuable time and leads in the process.

We need to reinforce that initial intelligence can and should be shared in good faith, while evidentiary material can follow through formal mechanisms like Mutual Legal Assistance Treaties (MLATs), Multilateral Legal Assistance (MLA) frameworks, or letters rogatory. Delaying action until those legal instruments are activated often results in lost leads or missed rescue opportunities.

That said, there are successful models. The National Cyber-Forensics and Training Alliance (NCFTA), for example, has shown how public and private entities from different countries can share actionable intelligence in real time. Fusion centers, Egmont Group collaborations, and INTERPOL’s networks also help. Even something as simple as exchange programs where analysts work side-by-side can build the trust needed to break down silos. Ultimately, it’s human trust and operational flexibility that make cross-border success possible.

a&s Middle East: Can you share an example of a collaboration between law enforcement and the private sector that directly led to the dismantling of a transnational criminal network?

Koss: Every major investigation I’ve worked on proves one thing: traffickers run like businesses. To shut them down, you have to hit their money. Following the cash, seizing assets, and cutting off their financial lifelines are essential, and private sector partners are critical in that process.

Financial firms, fintech platforms, and logistics companies usually spot the warning signs first. But they often hold back due to legal risks or unclear policies. I’ve seen investigations stall because of this. I’ve also seen them succeed when private partners worked directly with law enforcement from the start. That’s the key.

Private players aren’t bystanders – they’re on the front lines. When they are part of the process from day one, investigations move faster and have more impact. Real integration, not just cooperation, makes the difference between missing and dismantling these networks.

a&s Middle East: What reforms or regulatory shifts do you believe are urgently needed to align global financial systems with anti-slavery efforts better?

Koss: If we want to stop traffickers, we must close the loopholes they love. One of the biggest issues is anonymous shell companies. Without global rules making company ownership public, investigators often hit dead ends.

We also need banks to actively look for trafficking risks, especially in high-risk industries like shipping, hospitality, and recruitment. Sharing data is another problem. Too often, banks hesitate to share early-stage intelligence, which slows everything down. They need legal clarity and protection to act when it matters most.

Fear of liability still stops good-faith efforts. Regulators must make sure that proactive steps are protected. Finally, fighting slavery should be part of due diligence standards, and companies and investors need to be held accountable if they are linked to exploitation. The goal is simple: make trafficking harder to hide, easier to report, and impossible to ignore.