FBINAA.Oct.Dec.Digital.REV

57th ANNUAL TRAINING CONFERENCE The FBI National Academy Associates and the Florida Chapter invite our fellow FBINAA members and their families to join us at the 2021 FBINAA Annual Training Conference and Law Enforcement Expo.

Operation Fort was the largest modern slavery investigation ever conducted in the United Kingdom. West Midlands Police used Chorus Intelligence software to bring 13 offenders to justice and help protect 400 vulnerable individuals from future attacks. This case study shows how they used data analysis to overcome multiple challenges and solve the investigation faster than expected. CHORUS CASE STUDY: HOW WEST MIDLANDS POLICE SOLVED THE UK’S LARGEST HUMAN TRAFFICKING CASE WITH DATA ANALYSIS

F B I N A A . O R G | O C T / D E C 2 0 2 0

BACKGROUND

O peration Fort’ targeted a Polish organized crime gang that allegedly operated a human trafficking ring in the West Midlands area of the UK. Through the course of the operation, in- vestigative efforts determined victims were lured to the UK from Eastern Europe on the promise of jobs and a better standard of living. In reality, they were forced to live in appalling conditions and were defrauded of their wages and identity for the financial profit of the organization. The case was ultimately profiled in BBC Panorama documentary as well as on, SkyNews: https:// hopeforjustice.org/news/2017/10/huge-response-to-exploited- britains-hidden-slaves-documentary-filmed-with-hope-for- justice/ . THE CHALLENGES The investigative team faced several initial challenges at the onset of the operation. Many of the victims did not realize they were trafficked. They were often from underprivileged back- grounds who were lacked education and social skills and were often dependent on alcohol. They still held hope that their lives would be transformed and had an inherent distrust of authori- ties. Many also spoke a form of Polish dialect not familiar to the police and it was a struggle to gain their cooperation. THE DATA Once the challenges of connecting with the victims were over- come, West Midlands Police (WMP) gathered call data records, conducted manhunts for suspects, and seized handsets and paper exhibits. While their hunt for suspects was successful, it led to an even larger obstacle for the police department. The investigation included a staggering 4,000+ exhibits. 650,000 lines of communications data, 80 downloaded handsets, 1,500 statements and 40 pieces of ‘live’ evidence. Already involved in other important cases, this presented a huge obstacle to the investigation team. They needed to quickly process data while meeting the strict disclosure rules present in the UK. WMP re- quired a single platform that could streamline the process. They turned to Chorus Intelligence for the solution. THE ANALYSIS The team held l discussions with the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) to ensure the evidentiary presentation was clear and con- sistent and verify that different types of evidence could be linked together to tell the entire story.

Chorus was able to cleanse, combine, and connect several different types of data, including call data records, bank state- ments and contact lists. The automated cleansing of the call data records alone saved WMP a month in man hours so they could focus on getting answers and progressing the case. 584 files and close to 700,000 records later, WMP had color- coded each defendant in Chorus and given each victim a unique number. After this initial processing, every imported data entity was linked to a corresponding person in the case which ensured no data fell through the cracks and case records remained highly organized. CUSTOM TEMPLATES Chorus and WMP worked together to create templates that al- lowed customized data to be uploaded. This included financial data formats and additional data columns for SMS and What- sApp message translations.

WHAT TO EXPECT // –Showcasing the Best of Orlando, FL –Two Day Exhibition –Over 2,000 Attendees –Reconnect With Session Mates –Networking Opportunities –Excellent Training, Presentations and Social Events –Activities For The Whole Family

ORLANDO JULY 7-10 | 2021 | FBINAA2021.COM

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