⛓️‍💥 Human trafficking is often hidden in plain sight but it leaves financial evidence. In this episode of Siren Investigates, John Randles is joined by Robert Reed, Chief Operating Officer of the International Bank of Chicago and founder of Reed Advancements, to explore how financial data, compliance systems, and investigative technology can be used to uncover and disrupt human trafficking networks. Drawing on decades of experience across global banking, AML, and forensic investigations, Robert explains how trafficking activity surfaces in transaction data, why traditional compliance approaches fall short, and how enhanced data analytics, AI, and cross-sector collaboration can save lives when used effectively. In this episode, they discuss: ⛓️‍💥 How human trafficking activity appears in financial transactions and behavioural patterns ⛓️‍💥 Why “following the money” remains one of the most effective ways to expose exploitation ⛓️‍💥 The role banks play in detecting trafficking through AML and SAR reportingReal-world examples where data analysis directly led to shutting down illicit operations ⛓️‍💥 How technologies like AI and entity resolution can accelerate investigations ⛓️‍💥 Why data collection alone is not enough—and why data utilisation matters What regulators, corporations, and everyday citizens can do to help combat trafficking This is a powerful conversation about the human reality behind financial data and how investigators, technologists, and institutions can work together to protect vulnerable people and dismantle criminal networks. Listen now to understand how financial intelligence can be a force for good

Listeners will gain practical insight into:

👮 The life cycle of a cybercrime investigation within a police agency

🧑🏽‍💻 How digital evidence, data preservation, and case law shape investigative decisions

👮🧑🏽‍💻 Why cybercrime is a team sport, requiring close collaboration between sworn investigators, civilian analysts, prosecutors, and international partners

⚖️ How Mutual Legal Assistance Treaties (MLATs) and Europol’s Joint Cyber Action Taskforce (JCAT) are used in real investigations

🌐 What successful public-private partnerships look like in cyber investigations

The episode also delivers career-focused guidance for law enforcement officers and agencies developing cyber units. Kenrick explains why agencies must balance investigative skills with technical expertise, how civilianisation strengthens cyber teams, and what training pathways best prepare investigators for handling large-scale digital evidence and complex prosecutions. He offers candid advice for officers transitioning into cyber roles and for agencies looking to mature their cybercrime investigative model.

Looking ahead, the conversation explores the growing impact of AI in cybercrime, the challenges of evidence scale and complexity, and the tools investigators need to shorten investigative timelines and keep pace with sophisticated threat actors. This episode is essential listening for police leaders, cybercrime investigators, intelligence units, digital forensics teams, prosecutors, and law enforcement professionals seeking a grounded, experience-driven understanding of how cybercrime is investigated and how the next generation of cyber investigators is being built.

In this powerful episode of Siren Investigates, host John Randles sits down with Vice Admiral (Rtd) Mark Mellett, former Chief of Staff of Ireland’s Defence Forces, to unpack the shifting foundations of European security and sovereignty. With decades of leadership experience across the UN, NATO, and Irish Defence Forces. The conversation opens with a fundamental question: what does sovereignty mean in today’s interconnected Europe? Mark argues that sovereignty is like property—you only own it if you can defend it. He warns that many European nations, including Ireland, have “free-ridden” on decades of peace without investing adequately in defense or resilience. Drawing on history from post–World War II recovery to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Mark explains how Europe’s sense of security has been eroding for years, and why 21st-century threats require both **military strength and societal awareness

Topics Covered

🌐 How Europe must redefine sovereignty in an era of hybrid warfare

🌐 The rise of AI and innovation as force multipliers in defense

🌐 Why strategic autonomy and collaboration are vital for Europe’s future

🌐 Ireland’s role in a new security landscape and the urgent need to act

🌐 Climate change as the next frontier of geopolitical conflict

🔍 Siren Investigates explores the technology and intelligence shaping how we keep people, assets, and networks safe.