Trafficking in persons is, at its core, a profit-driven crime. Behind every story of exploitation lies a criminal network motivated and sustained by money. Trafficking in persons can be difficult to investigate and successfully prosecute; however, financial transactions leave a trace that offers a powerful entry point for disrupting trafficking networks and restoring justice for victims.
At a recent Community of Practice (10 June) convened by the Australian Government-funded ASEAN–Australia Counter Trafficking program, participants from organisations of Persons with Disabilities , civil society, and survivor networks examined how trafficking’s architecture is fundamentally financial, and how financial investigations can strengthen responses.
The Value of Small Leads
Unlocking a trafficking network can begin with a single source of seemingly small information.
Civil society actors typically sit closest to victims and communities impacted by trafficking and organised crime. They listen to stories, document experiences, and build trust over time. In doing so, they gather fragments of information – names, phone numbers, social media accounts, observations about lifestyle changes – that may appear insignificant in isolation but have the potential to unlock vital evidence to support investigations.
A nickname, photograph, or a bank account number shared by a survivor during their recovery can become a critical lead when analysed by financial intelligence authorities. Even subtle indicators – such as a sudden shift in a perpetrator’s lifestyle inconsistent with their stated profession – can help expose illicit gains.
This underscores a critical insight: justice is often built from fragments. When systematically documented and shared, these fragments can reveal patterns that would otherwise remain hidden.
Collaboration is Not Optional, it is Foundational
For civil society, however, collecting information is only one part of the equation. The ability to translate field-based insights into actionable intelligence depends on strong collaboration with government institutions mandated to investigate financial and trafficking crimes.
Financial intelligence units, such as Indonesia’s Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Center (PPATK), bring specialised tools, legal authority, and analytical capacity to build upon community-based intelligence. . By tracing financial transactions across bank accounts, companies, and increasingly digital assets, financial analysts can uncover the broader networks behind individual cases. As Kroll’s senior adviser BC Tan noted, even a small piece of information can help investigators ‘go forward’ and map complex cross-border financial flows.
Partnerships between financial intelligence agencies and civil society are not without their challenges. Differences in mandates, working methods, and expectations can create misunderstandings. For example, financial investigators must keep certain information confidential and civil society partners are not always incentivised to share their data with government agencies. Bridging these gaps requires continuous communication, clarity around roles and mandates and a shared commitment to justice outcomes. As one participant noted, effective collaboration is built not only on information exchange, but on trust.
Victim-Centred Approaches
Collaboration between financial intelligence agencies and civil society can support a greater focus on the individuals at the centre of these crimes.
Victims’ safety, dignity and agency must guide every stage of the justice process, including informed consent when sharing information with government agencies. Many victims and their families face intimidation – both offline and online – when trafficking networks are exposed.
Against this backdrop, civil society plans an essential role in supporting victims to engage safely in justice processes in a manner that both strengthens evidence for the case and supports restoration and recovery.
Financial accountability also opens the door to restitution for victims. Tracing proceeds of crime can help identify assets for compensation, addressing both the harm suffered and the economic dimensions of exploitation.
Emerging Challenges in a Digital Landscape
As trafficking networks evolve, so too must the tools used to combat them.
Digital platforms have made it easier for perpetrators to coordinate activities and access money laundering services. Cryptocurrencies present both opportunities and challenges, as cross-border flows complicate enforcement.
As BC Tan underscored, these crimes increasingly operate as complex, transnational “ecosystems” involving multiple actors across jurisdictions and sectors. This reinforces the need for a whole-of-society response.
Toward a Shared Vision
What emerged from the Community of Practice was a shared vision: one where civil society, government, and survivor leaders work in concert, information flows effectively and regularly, and victims are not only protected but empowered. As Sakura Indonesia Foundation founder Ibu Suarni emphasised, “let us work together with all relevant stakeholders and institutions to uncover more crimes.” In this approach, financial investigations do more than prosecute – they help dismantle the economic foundations of trafficking.
It reminds us that behind every transaction is a life impacted. By following these flows, we move closer to a system where exploitation is no longer profitable, and justice is both possible and sustained.