WPS – Michael Roberts: Breaking Bureaucratic Barriers Crucial in Strengthening Law Enforcement and Private Sector Collaboration in Cybercrime Investigations

In this World Police Summit dedicated edition we hosted Michael Roberts an expert in cybercrime investigation, specializing in breaking the bureaucratic barriers between law enforcement and private sector investigators. As the founder of Stingforce, he leads a transnational team of investigators, law enforcement collaborators, and crypto & financial crime analysts to
dismantle organized cybercriminal networks.

By: Orhan Hadžagić

a&s Middle East: What emerging cybercrime trends worry you most in 2025, and how should the industry prepare for them?

Michael Roberts: In 2025, my greatest concerns are the rise of cyber-enabled human trafficking, sophisticated financial scams like “Pig Butchering,” and AI-driven criminal operations. Criminal networks increasingly leverage advanced technology and global digital infrastructure, outpacing traditional law enforcement responses. To counter this, the industry must embrace innovative solutions like the Stingbase SaaS platform, designed specifically to enable rapid, real-time collaboration between government and private-sector crime fighters. Simultaneously, movements like Stingforce encourage proactive, unified human collaboration beyond bureaucratic limitations to disrupt criminal networks at their source.

a&s Middle East: How do you see the role of AI evolving in both committing and combating cybercrime?

Michael Roberts: AI significantly amplifies both sides of cybercrime. Criminals harness AI for automation of scams, targeted victim profiling, and rapid laundering of funds. Conversely, the fight against cybercrime benefits immensely from AI-driven analytics, predictive pattern recognition, and proactive disruption capabilities offered through innovative software platforms like Stingbase. When combined with collaborative human intelligence networks such as Stingforce, AI becomes a powerful tool for predicting, preventing, and rapidly responding to cyber threats.

When combined with collaborative human intelligence networks such as Stingforce, AI becomes a powerful tool for predicting, preventing, and rapidly responding to cyber threats.

a&s Middle East: From your investigative experience, what are the most common platforms or digital environments where cyber sexual exploitation of children begins today?

Michael Roberts: Cyber sexual exploitation of children most commonly originates on widely accessible platforms including WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook Messenger, Telegram, and Discord. These platforms often fail to proactively monitor harmful activities, relying excessively on slow-moving law enforcement interventions, which criminals exploit. There is a critical need for these platforms to actively engage with private investigators and crime-fighting coalitions like Stingforce to rapidly act upon credible, private-sector intelligence before harm occurs.

a&s Middle East: How can law enforcement agencies and private sector investigators better collaborate to proactively identify and dismantle exploitation networks before harm is done?

Michael Roberts: Effective collaboration requires breaking traditional bureaucratic barriers. Stingbase provides the technological foundation?a dedicated SaaS platform facilitating real-time intelligence sharing, secure communications, and coordinated operational responses. Concurrently, the Stingforce movement empowers committed individuals from diverse sectors, including law enforcement, financial institutions, telecom providers, and NGOs, to collaborate without waiting for bureaucratic processes. Private and public entities must urgently revise their internal policies to swiftly act on credible private-sector tipoffs.

Having attended the World Police Summit last year, I am looking forward to building on the relationships formed and insights gained.

a&s Middle East: If you could change one policy or regulation globally to better fight organized cybercrime, what would it be?and why?

Michael Roberts: I would mandate a global policy requiring banks, cryptocurrency exchanges, telecom carriers, ISPs, and social media platforms to act promptly in good faith on credible intelligence reports from qualified private crime fighters, rather than awaiting formalized law enforcement requests. The prevailing “wait-and-see” policy creates a loophole of multi-institutional willful blindness, allowing cybercrime to flourish unchallenged. Such policy reform would close the gap, significantly hindering criminal exploitation of digital platforms.

a&s Middle East: With the World Police Summit in Dubai coming up, what are you hoping to take away from the event?especially on the topic of child protection in cyberspace? And have you taken part in a summit like this in the Middle East before?

Michael Roberts: Having attended the World Police Summit last year, I am looking forward to building on the relationships formed and insights gained. This year, I aim to both contribute valuable knowledge about collaborative models like Stingforce and technology platforms such as Stingbase, and also to learn from fellow participants. I am eager to deepen my understanding of innovative approaches, regional best practices, and effective strategies for protecting children in cyberspace. This summit offers a unique platform to exchange experiences, foster meaningful partnerships, and enhance our collective capability to tackle cyber-enabled exploitation effectively.