Santander’s AI tool helps bust human trafficking gangs across Britain

Santander UK has revealed that an artificial intelligence tool deployed by the bank has generated hundreds of leads for police to crack human trafficking gangs operating in Britain. The Spanish-owned high street lender has been working with the National Crime Agency (NCA) to combat modern slavery through advanced financial crime detection systems.

Context and Background

The bank implemented the AI tool approximately one year ago, developed in partnership with fintech firm ThetaRay, which specialises in software and big data analytics for financial crime prevention. The system analyses customer account activity to detect suspicious patterns that may indicate human trafficking and exploitation activities.

According to Jas Narang, Santander UK’s chief transformation, data and AI officer, the tool represents a significant advancement over traditional rules-based systems. The AI technology can identify complex patterns at scale and speed that conventional systems cannot match, particularly for evolving crimes like human trafficking and modern slavery. The International Labour Organisation estimates that around 28 million people globally are trapped in forced labour and commercial sexual exploitation.

The system specifically monitors for suspicious transaction patterns including recurring payments to classified advertisement sites, frequent small cash withdrawals from ATMs, and international flight and accommodation bookings. When these activities form concerning patterns, alerts are reviewed by Santander’s financial crime prevention team of over 1,000 specialists before escalation to the NCA.

Looking Forward

Santander plans to expand the AI tool’s deployment across its global operations and explore applications for detecting other types of financial crime. The success of the programme demonstrates how financial institutions can leverage artificial intelligence to support law enforcement agencies in combating serious organised crime.

The initiative highlights the growing role of AI in financial crime prevention, moving beyond traditional transaction monitoring to identify sophisticated criminal networks. This collaboration between banking technology and law enforcement agencies represents a new frontier in the fight against human trafficking and modern slavery.

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