Developing AI Solutions to Disrupt Illicit Money Flows

Welcome to the TRACE project's fifth newsletter issue!

Every year, cross-border investigations into illicit money flows are hindered by fragmented e-evidence. The TRACE project addresses this issue by delivering a modular open-source framework for money-laundering investigations which can be tailored to meet the needs of law enforcement agencies.

In this fifth edition of our newsletter, we summarise key progress, publications, and partnerships from TRACE as we approach the final six months of the project.

Project updates

TRACE Final Conference details announced

The TRACE final conference will take place on 11th and 12th June 2024, at Filmquartier in Vienna, Austria. It will mark the conclusion of a three-year project to create innovative AI solutions to combat illicit money flows, and feature expert speakers from legal, technological, ethical, and social backgrounds. You can see the provisional timetable here and register now to join us in Vienna and explore the results of TRACE.

Law Enforcement Technology Symposium 2023

At the stunning Louwman Museum in the Hague, the TRACE consortium was proud to welcome eight policing and security-related projects to the Law Enforcement Technology Symposium on 7th and 8th December 2023. Read more about the event here, with details on our keynote speakers and featured projects.

Improving internal investigation through better use and trust-based exchange of forensic information

Earlier this year, a workshop on internal investigations and the forensic use value of the TRACE tool took place at the Vienna Centre for Societal Security. This was attended by TRACE partners and law enforcement professionals, and you can read more about it here.

The 2024 TRACE essay competition

The TRACE essay competition is inviting law undergraduates from European universities to answer the following question: In the context of the EU law (acquis communautaire), how can the law achieve a balance between protecting fundamental rights and the use of AI in law enforcement? The winner will receive a first prize of €150 and an invitation to present the essay at the TRACE final conference in June 2024. Read more about the competition and its criteria here.

TRACE presented to international audiences

Conference and expert group presentations are key aspects of the project. Read about partner presentations at the European Society of Criminology conference and 32nd Annual Tax Research Network Conference here. You can access TRACE presentations at the 2023 Counter Fraud, Cybercrime and Forensic Accounting conference and Economic Crime in the Age of Technology conference here.

Publications

Know Your NFTs: Compliance and Enforcement Challenges in Trading of Non-Fungible Tokens

Professor Dimitrios Kafteranis and Professor Umut Turksen from Coventry University's Centre for Financial and Corporate Integrity and Dr Huseyin Unozkan discuss the regulatory and legal challenges faced by authorities in the NFT trade. Read the full article in this special edition of International Journal of Law in Changing World.

Detecting Hidden Innovative Networks in Hacker Communities

Joachim Klerx and Claudia Steindl from the Austrian Institute of Technology highlight the innovation of hacker communities in a conference paper for Communications in Computer and Information Science. Read the abstract here, and access the full article through an accredited institution.

LEA Cluster updates

Recognising that our projects have common stakeholders and similar objectives in supporting law enforcement against organised crime and terrorism, we have formed the LEA Cluster with other Horizon projects including: CC-DRIVER, COPKIT, Cybercrime Exit, CYBERSPACE, CYCLOPES, DARLENE, FREETOOL, HEROES, INSPECTr, LAW-GAME, LOCARD, NOTIONES, PREVISION, PROTAX, RAYUELA, ROXANNE, STARLIGHT, and Tools4LEAs.

Visit these project websites, follow their social media channels, and join their mailing lists for updates on research activities and insights.

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