The 2025 World Police Summit hosted a robust panel discussion titled “The Chains of Control: The Role of Public-Private Cooperation in Eradicating Modern Slavery and the Financial Systems that Fuel It.” With speakers from international law enforcement, finance, NGOs, and cyber investigation, the session highlighted urgent calls for faster collaboration, improved information sharing, and a rethink of existing regulatory frameworks to combat modern slavery.
The session was moderated by cyber investigator Michael Roberts (Stingforce, Australia) and featured an esteemed panel:
- Mark Cass, COO of Stingbase (Finland) and former U.S. DOJ investigator
- Oonagh van den Berg, CEO of Raw Compliance (Portugal), Executive Director, Growth & Advisory at AML Watcher
- Nina Vaaranen-Valkonen, Executive Director and Co-Founder, Protect Children (Finland), INTERPOL Subgroup Chair
- Kevin Metcalf, Director, Human Trafficking Response Unit, Office of the Oklahoma Attorney General (USA)
At the heart of the discussion was a shared frustration: organized crime networks move faster than those trying to stop them. Criminals benefit from their decentralized agility, while outdated protocols and siloed communication hinder law enforcement, financial institutions, and regulators.
“Law enforcement is often its own worst enemy,” said Mark Cass, advocating for unrestricted, real-time communication between investigators across borders and sectors. “We don’t need mutual legal assistance treaties just to pick up the phone.”
Kevin Metcalf described the human toll of these procedural gaps. “Every hour’s delay could mean another dozen assaults,” he said, recounting how outdated systems, fear of liability, and resource shortages prevent timely rescues. Nina Vaaranen-Valkonen, drawing from a database of over 23,000 survivor responses, reinforced this, warning that online-facilitated abuse has become more harmful than offline exploitation due to scale, permanence, and access.
Oonagh Van den Berg pulled back the curtain on the financial system’s inefficiencies. “We’ve overengineered regulation. Transaction monitoring systems are only 2–8% accurate, and the backlog can be as long as three months. By then, it’s too late.”
She emphasized the need for AI-driven real-time monitoring, stronger public-private trust, and the simplification of compliance processes. “Fraud, AML, cybersecurity, and compliance are all working in silos, yet modern financial crime is a blend of all these.”
A recurring theme was the need for indemnity protections for institutions that act in good faith to report suspicious activity. Cass pointed out that many banks fear lawsuits from criminal clients more than failing to report the crime itself. “They’re not protecting victims; they’re protecting their liability,” he said.
The panel shared stories of cross-border operations that saved victims and dismantled trafficking networks, only made possible by rapid information exchange. But they also warned of growing challenges. “Technology has made every crime a global crime,” said Nina, urging legislation over voluntary reporting from tech platforms.
Social media, encrypted messaging apps, and telecom carriers were called out as critical but absent stakeholders. “We cannot win without Meta, WhatsApp, ISPs, and telecoms at the table,” said Roberts.
Closing the session, panelists called for dismantling silos between sectors, disciplines, and jurisdictions. “We need teams, not departments,” said Cass. “And above all, we need communication.”
The World Police Summit brings together global policing, intelligence, and investigative professionals to exchange expertise, forge collaboration, and shape the future of security and justice.