Análisis de las variables

Background

Intelligence gathering and exchange between relevant authorities of States parties is crucial to the success of measures to attack transnational criminal networks. This tool examines the types of intelligence required for the conduct of successful inves- tigations.

Intelligence

It would be virtually impossible to establish and manage an organized trafficking network without creating audit trails in one or more of the following areas: adver- tising, rentals, transportation, communications and financial transactions. Each of these areas affords intelligence-gathering opportunities for law enforcement officers. To be of maximum value to counter-trafficking measures, intelligence gathering activity should focus on the strategic and tactical levels. In practice, the tactical intelligence will normally form the basis for the strategic overview, but both are equally important for the reasons set out below.

Despite positive developments in certain areas, often there is a deficit in the intel- ligence gathering capability of law enforcement agencies and other relevant multi- agency partners. An increasing number of States are creating national task forces or other specialized units to address the problem. The coordination of intelligence gathering efforts is a key function of these units. At the international level, police agencies such as Interpol now produce annual situation and threat assessment reports on a country-by-country basis and conduct analytical research into the phe- nomenon. Much more needs to be done to enhance the situation and provide

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national and international law enforcement agencies with the necessary strategic and specific tactical intelligence material to enable them to combat the traffickers successfully.

There are many reasons, both strategic and tactical, why the skilful and targeted gathering and exchanging of intelligence is of critical importance in the fight against human trafficking. The key ones are as follows:

• It will enable an accurate assessment to be made of the actual scale, method and gravity of the crime at the local, national and international levels.

• This will enable policymakers to allocate appropriate levels of resources to address the problem.

• It will help to raise media and public awareness of the crime which, in turn, will help to mobilize the political will to address it.

• The intelligence assessment will help to facilitate the strategic response in areas such as legislative changes, international cooperation, prevention strategies and education campaigns.

• The collection and dissemination of intelligence may lead to the rescue and repa- triation of the victims of the crime.

• It will provide the raw material and form the basis for reactive, proactive and disruptive investigations of traffickers.

• It will facilitate the conduct of joint operations between States.

• It may prevent or reduce duplication of investigative efforts in different jurisdic- tions.

• Thematic and specific intelligence can be used to prevent or disrupt trafficking networks in the States of origin, transit or destination, either separately or simul- taneously.

• Thematic and specific intelligence can be used to enhance the credibility and relevance of training programmes and education campaigns.

Types of intelligence required

The key areas of intelligence activity are likely to be the following:

Strategic. The objective is to conduct an overall intelligence assessment of the various strategic factors that underpin the existence of human trafficking in a particular State and that generate the origin, transit and destination status. A large amount of the data that will be analysed and utilized in this strategic overview will be derived from intelligence gathered at the operational level.

Socio-economic thematic data such as economic hardship, absence of job and educational opportunities, particularly for women, lack of access to health-care facilities, or any other relevant factors that serve to create a supply of victims.

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This thematic intelligence would include features that have an impact upon the demand side of the cycle, such as a demand for females of certain ethnic back- ground, appearance or age.

Cultural thematic intelligence that may affect the crime, such as control mech- anisms deployed to ensure the compliance of the victims, such as “voodoo” rit- uals in the case of West African nationals or religious factors that may be relevant, such as the sensitive security issues involved with the repatriation of certain Islamic victims of sexual exploitation to their families in the State of origin.

Historical or linguistic thematic indicators such as a history of colonial con- nections between the origin and destination States that contributes to the traf- ficking of victims, such as East and West African States and the United Kingdom. Common language links may also be a contributory factor as in the case of traf- ficking from Central and South America into the Iberian Peninsula, where the common Spanish and Portuguese languages help to facilitate the crime.

Routes and profiling thematic indicators that are closely linked to all of the cat- egories itemized above. For example, the historical and linguistic factors listed above have a key impact not only in relation to routes used but also to the over- all profiling of the victim and offender. With respect to routes, additional factors might be the existence of relaxed visa controls between an origin and destination State, or within commercial airline partnership arrangements. Profiling can be developed by careful analysis of all of the data obtained under the above cate- gories but also includes factors such as the growing demand for child prostitutes in certain regions because of the widely held belief that the lower the age of the prostitute, the lower the likelihood of sexually transmitted infection.

Operational. There are a number of key areas of intelligence gathering activ- ity at the operational level. While not an exhaustive list, the following areas are of significance:

• Recruitment methods (deception, coercion, abduction etc.) • Advertising media (word of mouth, printed media, Internet) • Forged identity documentation (preparation and acquisition) • False visa entitlements (preparation and acquisition)

• Travel documents (payment methods used and location of agents) • Travel routes and means (routes followed, mode of travel)

• “Safe house” accommodation (location and provision)

• Means of communication (e-mail, mobile telephones, fax machines etc.) • Financial intelligence (transactions in respect of all of the above activities) • Information from visa sections and consular services

• Information from airlines and travel agencies

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It is essential that intelligence is transmitted to those who are in a position to use it. Expeditious transfer of the intelligence is often an issue. A vital factor in effec- tive exchange of intelligence is the speed at which the material can be transmitted to the relevant agencies or investigators who may be in a position to respond to it. Intelligence very quickly becomes obsolete in the fast moving field of trafficking operations.