Noel Thomas has made it his life’s mission to expose and disrupt human trafficking networks. The organization he founded, Dark Watch, uses technology to track, analyze, and provide intelligence on trafficking and organized crime for use by law enforcement, corporations, and financial institutions.
Thomas says his journey began with a terrifying childhood experience that left a lasting mark. “Our family was walking in a flea market,” he recounts. "My dad was with my sister, who was about five years old at the time, and I was nine. He got bumped by a lady, and when he looked down…my sister was gone.”
His father’s quick action saved his sister from an attempted abduction. The experience, combined with later travels in India where Thomas witnessed police complicity in trafficking, solidified his dedication to counter-trafficking work. As he puts it, “All it takes for evil to prevail is for good men to do nothing.”
His sister, the survivor of that near-abduction, fully supports his mission. In their early days, Thomas and his sister even played in a Christian rock band that served as a platform to speak out against human trafficking. “She was able to turn her story into a platform,” Thomas says.
A Global Challenge Requiring Large-Scale Responses
Today, Dark Watch operates on a larger stage in an effort to take on the enormous scale of global human trafficking. “The industry makes more than $150 billion a year, and there are close to 50 million people enslaved around the world,” he explains.
“What’s often missed in that statistic is that this whole economy is funding cartels, funding terrorists, and funding organized crime.” According to Thomas, human trafficking “is a business enterprise on behalf of organized crime.”
The problem requires solutions across various fields, and Thomas uses technology as a critical tool. Dark Watch’s approach involves artificial intelligence and data analytics. “Using blockchain for sourcing products, originating products, transparency in the supply chain…has incredible applications for fighting this issue,” he says.
AI is also being leveraged to speed up outdated, manual processes in both corporate and law enforcement settings. “I went out on a raid with law enforcement, and I noticed that they were manually looking online for this type of information…there’s incredible opportunity to use AI for good.”
One of Dark Watch’s tools scans both the open web and deep web to identify signs of trafficking, a process Thomas describes as following “digital exhaust” left by traffickers online.
Traffickers’ need to advertise reaches the online marketplace, often resulting in clues to their operations. However, shutting down these operations is difficult, as many traffickers utilize offshore accounts and hosting.
"When Backpage and Craigslist escorts went away, it splintered into a bunch of tiny escort sites,” Thomas explains. The proliferation of sites has made it challenging for regulators and law enforcement to keep up with traffickers’ evolving tactics.
A Multifaceted Problem That Implicates Businesses
While sex trafficking gets the most attention, labor trafficking is a hidden but substantial component of the problem. According to Thomas, labor trafficking exists in diverse industries, from retail theft rings to hospitality and agriculture. He notes that “a smuggled individual will be the one prosecuted…instead of the broader organized crime behind it.”
Thomas believes corporate accountability is a critical factor to improve effectiveness against trafficking. While some corporations “don’t have the checks in place,” others, as he puts it, “are actively knowing and participating in it.”
High-profile cases, such as JPMorgan’s $290 million fine for banking with Jeffrey Epstein, indicate how deep-rooted this problem can be. “I think that really no one should be turning a blind eye to the fact that this is occurring in our neighborhoods…in corporations and companies that we know and respect,” he says.
Technology is only part of the solution. Thomas views legislative action as also crucial, and he says the action should be bipartisan given that trafficking cuts across party lines.
From immigration reform to asset forfeiture, he sees multiple policy areas that could strengthen anti-trafficking efforts. “Increased asset forfeiture of the traffickers…could go back and fund the counter-trafficking movement,” he suggests, comparing the approach to past strategies in the war on drugs.
The fight is daunting, and Thomas says a general lack of resources is a significant barrier. “We’ve had a lot that was designated to the war on drugs and the war on terror,” he says, pointing out that drugs, terror, and human trafficking are often intertwined in organized crime networks. Yet, resources for fighting trafficking remain limited.
Education and public awareness campaigns also play a role. While Thomas supports campaigns like “See Something, Say Something,” he sees them as just the beginning.
Recent cases involving airline flight attendants who identified trafficking victims are an important result of awareness efforts. “Every bit of awareness and getting the general public thinking about this is a huge step forward,” he says. However, he says that scaling technology and funding innovations must follow.
Expanding Dark Watch, and Seeking Help
Despite the challenges, Thomas remains hopeful and determined to expand Dark Watch’s impact. Recently rebranded from Zero Trafficking to Dark Watch, his organization now tackles a broader scope of issues, including money laundering and organized crime.
For those looking to support his mission, Thomas points to Dark Watch’s website, DarkWatch.io, and his book Dark Traffic: The Dangerous Intersection of Technology, Crime, Money, Sex, and Humanity, which provides an in-depth exploration of how organized crime operates and how technology can play a role in stopping it.
Everyone can make a difference, Thomas says. “It’s the power of just one or a few people answering the call,” he says. His mission, which began with a family tragedy narrowly averted, has grown into a powerful force against one of the darkest industries in the world.
