OpenCorporates and Anti-Human Trafficking Intelligence Initiative (ATII) are delighted to announce that they will be working together to support ATII’s goal of disrupting the operations, economics and anonymity of human trafficking.
In the fight against human trafficking, knowledge is power. To combat this heinous crime effectively, it is crucial to understand its operations, economics, and the methods used by traffickers to maintain their anonymity. In this pursuit, the Anti-Human Trafficking Intelligence Initiative (ATII) has found a formidable ally in OpenCorporates, a revolutionary legal-entity data platform that has the potential to disrupt human trafficking at its core.
According the the United Nation’s International Labour Organization (ILO), human trafficking is a $150 billion industry worldwide destroying the lives of over 40 million victims globally.
“OpenCorporates is proud to have a public-benefit mission where the data we collect is used to disrupt all kinds of criminal behaviour and I’m proud that we can be a part of furthering ATII’s important mission to #followthemoney to fight slavery by collecting fact-based data to address the highly challenging and dynamic nature of cybercrimes in human trafficking, modern slavery, and child sex abuse material, in order to identify and profile potential traffickers.”
Rebecca Lee, Chief Impact Officer at OpenCorporates
Based in the United States, ATII is a not-for-profit organization that operates globally to combat modern slavery by leveraging corporate social responsibilities directly through anti-human trafficking program development, facilitating awareness, using data and technology to source actionable intelligence. Equipped with corporate data from OpenCorporates, they aim to disrupt the market of human trafficking, child exploitation and child sexual abuse material (CSAM) through the advancement of preventions, detection, investigation and reporting mechanisms.
“By leveraging OpenCorporates’ extensive company data, our initiative can gather actionable intelligence and build comprehensive profiles of traffickers – enabling law enforcement agencies, NGOs, and regulatory bodies to hold them accountable for their actions. As public and private organizations continue to collaborate in the creation of a uniform front within the financial sector to fight human trafficking, we will see a true impact in the recovery of victims and prosecution of traffickers.“
Aaron Kahler, CEO & Founder of ATII.
In this article, we explore how OpenCorporates’ data will be used to empower ATII and contribute to dismantling the operations, economics, and anonymity of human trafficking networks.
Unmasking the Networks
Human trafficking is often facilitated by complex networks of individuals, organizations, and shell companies that obscure the identities of those involved. OpenCorporates, with its vast repository of legal-entity data, provides a crucial tool for unmasking these networks. By analyzing company ownership structures, cross-referencing directorships, and tracking the flow of funds, ATII can expose the hidden connections and identify key actors in human trafficking operations.
Identifying Front Companies
Traffickers commonly exploit legitimate businesses to launder money, mask illicit activities, and maintain a veneer of legality. OpenCorporates’ data can help ATII pinpoint front companies that serve as crucial components of trafficking operations. By analyzing financial records, corporate registrations, and the relationships between companies, investigators can identify suspicious entities and unravel their role in supporting human trafficking.
Tracing the Money Trail
Human trafficking is driven by profits, and traffickers rely on complex financial networks to launder money and obscure the source of their illicit gains. OpenCorporates’ data will aid ATII in tracing the money trail associated with human trafficking. By analyzing financial transactions, offshore accounts, and corporate structures, investigators can follow the money, identify illicit flows, and disrupt the economic foundation of trafficking networks.
Uncovering Enablers and Beneficiaries
Human trafficking often involves the complicity of individuals, companies, or even entire industries. OpenCorporates’ data will help ATII identify enablers and beneficiaries who provide crucial support to trafficking networks. By examining corporate partnerships, supply chains, and the financial relationships between entities, investigators can expose complicit actors and hold them accountable, effectively disrupting their involvement in human trafficking.
Strengthening Law Enforcement Efforts
By providing a comprehensive database of corporate information, OpenCorporates equips law enforcement agencies with valuable tools to enhance their investigations. ATII can leverage OpenCorporates’ data to streamline intelligence sharing between agencies, enabling a more coordinated and effective response to human trafficking. This collaboration can lead to improved targeting of resources, better identification of trafficking trends, and ultimately, more successful prosecutions.
The fight against human trafficking requires innovative approaches that target the heart of the problem. OpenCorporates’ data platform offers a game-changing solution for the Anti-Human Trafficking Intelligence Initiative. By leveraging the power of corporate data, ATII can disrupt the operations, economics, and anonymity of human trafficking networks. Through the identification of networks, front companies, money trails, enablers, and beneficiaries, the fight against human trafficking gains crucial momentum. OpenCorporates, combined with the dedication and expertise of AHTII, provides a beacon of hope in the pursuit of eradicating this heinous crime and ensuring justice for its victims.
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