How Financial Institutions Miss the Signs of Human Trafficking

Event Q&A

Human Trafficking Is Hiding in Plain Sight in Financial Systems

Neil Giles, president of Traffic Analysis Hub, exposes the communication gaps, outdated systems, and institutional inertia that let human trafficking profits slip through financial systems undetected. With a law enforcement background and decades of experience, he calls on financial institutions to go beyond box-ticking and collaborate with NGOs to uncover red flags, automate detection, and make a real impact.

Jul 22, 2025

Neil Giles, President, Traffik Analysis Hub

Tags: Financial Crime

The views and opinions expressed in this content are those of the thought leader as an individual and are not attributed to CeFPro or any other organization

Neil Giles delivers a sobering message: human trafficking is thriving, in part, because financial institutions aren’t equipped—or willing—to detect it.

Despite generating an estimated $500 billion annually, most of this money passes undetected through financial systems due to siloed communication, rigid compliance protocols, and outdated perceptions of risk. Giles argues that true change will only happen when institutions shift from a defensive, box-ticking posture to a proactive, intelligence-driven mindset.

The most controversial claim? That financial institutions must take on more risk to actually manage it. Giles challenges the “we’re doing enough” mindset and urges collaboration with NGOs to unlock real intelligence, automate red-flag detection, and empower analysts with purpose, not just compliance checklists.

The uncomfortable truth is that traffickers rely on institutional complacency. The real risk is doing nothing.

Neil Giles Bio

Neil Giles began his journey with STOP THE TRAFFIK in 2007 after a chance meeting that sparked his dedication to countering human trafficking. Since then, he has become a leading figure in using intelligence to disrupt traffickers’ business models. The intelligence products he has helped develop are now actively driving prevention efforts and law enforcement investigations worldwide. In 2017, he co-founded the Traffik Analysis Hub to further these efforts. With an extensive background in law enforcement, Neil has served with New Scotland Yard, Regional and National Crime Squads, the National Criminal Intelligence Service, and the Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA). He has led major international operations against organised crime, including his role as the UK Law Enforcement Attached to North America, based at the British Embassy in Washington, D.C. At SOCA (now the National Crime Agency), Neil led the agency’s global human intelligence development on organised crime, with operational experience in Afghanistan, Colombia, and West Africa. He spearheaded the UK’s cross-government programme to prevent cocaine trafficking and chaired Europol’s multinational counter-cocaine initiative. He latterly also served as COO at UK Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP). For over 16 years, Neil has worked at the forefront of counter-human trafficking efforts, shaping intelligence-led prevention and enforcement strategies that have transformed responses to modern slavery worldwide.