Quantifind's AI-Powered Platform Aids IFAW in Ongoing Wildlife Trafficking Investigation
WASHINGTON, Aug. 6, 2025 /CNW/ -- The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) has used Quantifind's AI-powered risk intelligence platform to advance a transnational investigation into illegal wildlife trafficking. The investigation, which remains active, has already uncovered critical intelligence on a suspected trafficker operating between the Middle East and Central Africa.
In June 2025, IFAW's investigations team identified a trafficking group with suspected links to the illicit live animal trade. One individual, referred to as Marcel for anonymity, had been previously noted in open-source research. However, it was through Quantifind that investigators uncovered new and significant findings, including evidence of fraudulent company affiliations and a previously unknown conviction reported by regional African media sources.
"The intelligence we surfaced using Quantifind was both timely and actionable," said Christian Plowman, Program Manager at IFAW. "We were able to quickly validate our suspicions, uncover key details we hadn't found through traditional sources, and escalate our investigation based on reliable, corroborated data. It's a valuable tool for any organization fighting transnational crime."
Quantifind's platform enables users to search across structured and unstructured global data sources with natural language queries, automated risk scoring, and name variant detection. These features helped IFAW surface media reports, identify inconsistencies in company records, and prioritize leads in a matter of minutes.
Based on these findings, IFAW has notified international partners and expanded its investigation into the broader trafficking network. Further developments are expected in the coming months.
"Wildlife crime is a complex, evolving threat, and collaboration across borders and disciplines is essential," added Plowman. "With the right intelligence tools, we can close information gaps and act faster to protect endangered species."
Quantifind is proud to support frontline investigators and NGOs like IFAW in their efforts to combat wildlife crime, human trafficking, and other global threats.
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National Observer
5 hours ago
- National Observer
Complaints are piling up against a Canadian oil company — but there's nobody to hear them
By John Woodside News August 11th 2025 Share this article Photo by Tim Copeland/Flickr (CC BY 2.0) Listen to article It has been nearly 500 days since Canadian oil company ReconAfrica was accused of committing human rights abuses and environmental destruction in an ecologically sensitive region in Namibia — and the alleged victims still have no answers. In 2021, the company began drilling near a UNESCO world heritage site called the Okavango Delta. The delta is a sprawling, intact wetland that is an oasis in the arid Kalahari Basin for endangered wildlife — such as cheetahs, white rhinoceros, lions and African elephants — that have uniquely adapted to synchronize with seasonal rains and floods to sustain life. For years, Namibian civil society organizations and the UNESCO World Heritage Centre have expressed concerns about the potential environmental impact of drilling in a finely balanced ecosystem in an attempt to stop the company in its tracks. Experts interviewed by Canada's National Observer are dismayed at the lack of progress from the Canadian Ombudsperson for Responsible Enterprise (CORE), which received the complaint in April 2024. Part of the problem is the head position at the CORE has been vacant for months, freezing its work. In the absence of accountability for the alleged abuses, the company has continued drilling in Namibia, and is now expanding into Angola, as it drills test wells in the hope to strike a motherlode oil deposit. The 187-page complaint filed with the CORE alleges ReconAfrica has broken international human rights laws, including the rights to health, water, food and adequate housing, as well as Indigenous rights of free, prior and informed consent to operations in their territory. The CORE was expected to say within 30 days if an investigation would proceed. To date, there has been no update. The complaint was a joint submission from the International Human Rights Program, housed at the University of Toronto's Faculty of Law, and Saving Okavango's Unique Life, an advocacy group focused on protecting the Okavango Delta. 'We don't know when or if we might hear back from them,' said Sandra Wisner, director of the International Human Rights Program at the University of Toronto. 'At a time when the Carney government is laser focused on becoming an energy superpower … it's concerning that Canada's approach to promoting responsible business abroad has come to this.' Experts are dismayed at the lack of progress from the CORE, which received the complaint in April 2024. Part of the problem is the head position at the CORE is vacant. In the absence of accountability, ReconAfrica has continued drilling. Wisner said in Canada the CORE and Canada's National Contact Point are the only two dispute resolution mechanisms for companies operating abroad. 'Both are essentially toothless due to limited investigative powers, lack of independence from government influence, and inability, essentially, to provide meaningful remedies for those violating companies,' she said. Against that backdrop, the CORE is also rudderless. Since May, there has been no ombudsperson at the organization to investigate allegations, and the federal government has no immediate plans to do anything about it. A spokesperson for the CORE said due to confidentiality obligations it could not comment on the status of the ReconAfrica investigation. It confirmed that there is currently no ombudsperson at the organization, after the interim ombudsperson's mandate expired in May. Former ombudsperson, Sheri Meyerhoffer, said she stands by sharp critiques of the CORE she made in March 2024 where she said if Canada is to hold companies responsible, watchdogs need stronger investigatory powers, like the ability to compel documents and testimony. Without those powers, companies can simply ignore the CORE's questioning. The federal government launched a review of the CORE in the fall of 2024, but did not offer any details about what reforms might be implemented. 'We look forward to confirming a future direction for the office in due course, as part of ensuring that Canada's approach and tools for promoting responsible business conduct remain robust and fit-for-purpose,' said John Babcock, spokesperson for Global Affairs Canada. A reputation for human rights concerns Previously, ReconAfrica has enjoyed at least tacit support from the federal government. In 2021 as a flurry of articles from National Geographic and the Globe and Mail exposed the environmental harms and global outcry against the company, Global Affairs set up at least one meeting with Canada's top diplomat, Bob Rae. Internal emails obtained by Canada's National Observer show Rae encouraged meetings with UN representatives in Namibia and Botswana to help overcome the PR troubles. ReconAfrica's alleged abuses are part of a pattern of Canadian companies violating rights abroad, experts say. In 2016, a study termed it the 'Canada Brand' where 28 companies were found to be involved in 44 deaths, 403 injuries, 709 cases of criminalization and 'widespread' violence. In recent months and years, the concerns keep piling up. In June, civil society organizations wrote to Canada's Ambassador to Ecuador about 'deep concern over the systematic criminalization of human rights and nature defenders' relating to a mining project owned by Curimining S.A., a subsidiary of Canadian companies Silvercorp Metals and Salazar Resources. Similar human rights concerns from Canadian companies relate to forced evictions and 'high levels of violence' at a mine in Tanzania owned by Barrick Gold; water contamination threatening people's health at a Barrick-owned mine in Argentina; and The Metals Company, a deep sea mining company headquartered in Vancouver, that is accused of violating the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. 'There's this really widespread systemic problem of abuse linked to Canadian companies all over the world,' said Aiden Gilchrist-Blackwood, coordinator with the Canadian Network on Corporate Accountability. 'People have put their trust in [the CORE], and they've often gone to great risk to bring cases forward to this institution,' he said. 'To now have this office that is sitting there without even a person in the post, I mean it's just so deeply concerning.' 'I certainly hope that Carney will step up and fulfill this longstanding commitment to empower the office, but I would say signs right now are really worrying,' he added. 'There's been a real lack of transparency around the government's intentions to the future of the office at this moment." 'If it was not in Africa they could not do what they are doing' Those standing in the way of ReconAfrica say they have been threatened, intimidated and had property damaged by the company. In an affidavit filed with the ReconAfrica complaint, one individual describes being made to fear for his 'privacy and safety' after meeting with someone from the company. Farmers say their homes have been destroyed by the thundering seismic drills, while crops have been destroyed, pushing people further into poverty and hunger, and land has allegedly been seized with little or no compensation — six witnesses said they received no compensation, while another received the equivalent of $81. 'A representative from ReconAfrica approached me with her phone during this meeting and showed me that she had private intercepted communications between myself and a colleague from an ally organization. However, she refused to explain how my private messages came into her possession,' the affidavit from Thomas Muronga, the chair of the Kapinga Kamwalye Conservancy, reads. Another affidavit from a local farmer, whose name was redacted, describes ReconAfrica using his land to conduct seismic testing, a technique used to explore for oil and gas reserves. The farmer says he told an employee to leave and fix any damages, but the employee refused. The farmer says the company destroyed his field to the point animals didn't have enough grass to graze, and the company cut down trees, ruined fruit plants and caused the walls of his home to crack. He was offered no compensation, he says. 'Given that my family and I rely on our crops and animals for food, we have not had enough food to feed my family,' the affidavit reads. 'We have tried to buy food from shops but we do not have enough money to buy enough food for the family… My family and I have gone hungry.' Muyemburuko Max Kangwaka, chairperson of the Kavango East and West Regional Conservancy and Community Forestry Association, told Canada's National Observer in a phone interview that affected land owners did not give ReconAfrica permission to drill and people's homes, made of wood and mud, were cracked by the seismic drilling. 'As I'm speaking now, less than a month [after] we went to the village to visit [them], their house is not going to last two to three years,' he said. 'Soon it is going to collapse.' Kangwaka said he's deeply disappointed that the company has not been held to account. 'We know that if it was not in Africa … they could not do what they are doing right now,' he said. Kangwaka toured researchers from the University of Toronto around the affected sites in preparation for the CORE complaint, with the expectation Canada would take action. 'Since then we never got any response, and we still need assistance on this so that the company can be held accountable,' he said. 'Maybe it will give a bad image to [Canada]; maybe that is why they are not acting.' Regardless of the reason, 'we are not happy,' he said. 'What they told us is they're going to open a case, an investigation with the [CORE] but we can't see any waves.' ReconAfrica did not return a request for comment. Violating local laws Since that complaint was filed, the company has continued drilling exploration wells. Its most recent drilling program was announced on July 31; the planned well is expected to stretch 3.8 kilometres underground by the end of November. In April, the company also signed an MOU with Angola's oil and gas regulator to jointly explore in the Etosha-Okavango Basin, a region the company expects is connected to the deposit it is probing in Namibia. Last month, Eneas Emvula, a Namibian member of parliament with the Landless People's Movement, called for an independent parliamentary investigation of ReconAfrica that could slap a moratorium on the company's operations while the investigation is carried out. He will formally table a motion for investigation in September. In an interview with Canada's National Observer, Emvula said he wants what's best for the country and is generally supportive of oil exploration, but it shouldn't be at the expense of human rights and environmental laws. 'When somebody comes around with the intent to exploit the natural resources the whole due process must [abide] by the law,' he said. 'ReconAfrica has not done so.' Emvula said many land owners have not been compensated, some of their properties have been damaged and ReconAfrica 'bypassed acquiring informed consent.' The company has 'been fiddling with the integrity of the country,' he said. 'I think all efforts really need to be made in order to get these guys, not to their knees, but to get these guys to comply with the laws and procedures to conduct business.' Emvula said a standing committee on natural resources report found significant misconduct from ReconAfrica and provided 19 recommendations but none have been implemented because the report was buried. 'They shelved the report somewhere in the parliament archives, and it just sat there until I went to get it myself,' he said. Specifically, the report found that ReconAfrica only began consultations 'long after' it began operations, which would violate Indigenous communities' right to free, prior and informed consent. The committee found that the company also drilled 'unsanctioned boreholes' without holding the necessary water permits 'in clear contravention of the Water Act.' The report also describes ReconAfrica refusing entry to government officials at its drill site. 'The Committee is extremely dismayed and condemn the attitude [ReconAfrica] displayed for refusing entry to the Ministry Officials to the drilling sites,' the report said. Previously, a ReconAfrica spokesperson told Canada's National Observer the company acts in accordance with Namibian laws and self-imposes additional buffer zones to avoid environmentally sensitive areas. Wisner said that's not enough because the CORE's mandate is to hold Canadian companies to international human rights standards, not the standards of any specific country. August 11th 2025 John Woodside Ottawa Bureau Chief Keep reading When a Canadian gas company was under fire for environmental destruction, Global Affairs jumped in to help By John Woodside Investigations Business Politics August 9th 2023 Canadian oil company made bogus ESG claims to lure investors, complaint states By John Woodside News Business Energy August 30th 2023 Share this article Share on Bluesky Share on LinkedIn Comments
Winnipeg Free Press
2 days ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Chad's opposition leader sentenced to 20 years in prison for inciting violence
DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — Chad's criminal court on Saturday sentenced Success Masra, the country's former prime minister and opposition leader, to 20 years in prison after convictions on charges including incitement to hatred and revolt and complicity to murder. The charges stemmed from a deadly clash between herders and farmers in May. Masra was also fined 1 billion CFA francs, or almost $1.8 million. Before leaving the courtroom, Masra gave a message to his supporters: 'Stand firm.' Following the verdict Kadjilembay Francis, Masra's lawyer, told reporters: 'He has just been subjected to ignominy and unworthy humiliation.' He said he will appeal the sentence. Masra and 67 co-defendants, mostly people from the same Ngambaye ethnic group, have been on trial accused of causing a clash between herders and farmers in May in Logone Occidental in the southwest of the central African country. The fighting left 35 people dead and six others injured. He has denied the charges against him. Masra, who was prime minister between January and May last year, is the head of the Les Transformateurs party and has been a sharp critic of Mahamat Déby, Chad's current president. Déby took power in 2021 after his father Idriss Déby Itno was killed while fighting rebels in the country's north. He had ruled the country for 30 years. Déby legitimized his presidency with an election earlier this year, which was opposed by Masra and his party.
Cision Canada
4 days ago
- Cision Canada
Canadians nearly three times more likely to encounter payment fraud using cash versus credit cards, despite cash being perceived as safest payment method, reveals new Payments Canada study Français
Thirteen per cent of Canadians experienced payment fraud during a six-month period in 2025, with a disproportionately higher incidence (25 per cent) among newcomers; One in four (25 per cent) Canadians risk missing bill payments due to scam fears. OTTAWA, ON, Aug. 7, 2025 /CNW/ - While the percentage of Canadians who experienced payment fraud remained consistent year-over-year in 2025, new research from Payments Canada reveals shifts in the types of fraud and varying rates of fraud among different age demographics. Thirteen per cent experienced payment fraud over a six-month period in 2025, comparable with the level of fraud since 2021. "While the rate of payment fraud has remained steady over the last few years, we saw shifts in the types of payment fraud that Canadians experienced," said Jon Purther, Director, Research. "In particular, our research reveals that Canadians encountered the highest level of fraud when using cash compared to any other payment type. This may be due to the longevity of cash versus other payment forms, with fraud tactics, such as counterfeiting, becoming more sophisticated over time. Old techniques continue to prevail, such as pickpocketing and scams involving cash payments, such as romance scams, advance fee scams and impersonation scams. Fraudsters constantly evolve their techniques, which requires continued diligence by consumers and the payment ecosystem working together to stay one step ahead." Key study findings: 60 per cent of payment fraud incidents involved money loss. 32 per cent of Canadians don't know which payment-related communications are legitimate. 53 per cent say that concerns about fraud impact payment preferences and shopping habits. Many Canadians fail to use password best practices; 19 per cent use the same password for all accounts and six per cent have given out their personal and banking details via email or text message. Fraud was disproportionately higher among newcomers and younger Canadians: Canadian newcomers experienced nearly twice the rate of payment fraud compared to the overall population (at 25 per cent versus 13 per cent, respectively). Nearly two in five Canadians who were the targets of payment fraud experienced it within the last month. Of this group, young Canadians (18-34) represented the largest demographic at 58 per cent, followed by middle-aged Canadians (35-54) at 32 per cent and older Canadians (55+) at 24 per cent. Canadians experienced nearly three times more payment fraud experiences using cash versus credit cards: The research revealed that Canadians encountered the highest average number of fraud experiences when using cash versus any other payment method at 22.4 times over a six-month period in 2025. This was followed by prepaid cards at 10.5 times and credit and debit cards, both at 8.8 times. Money loss from payment fraud was typically less than $500; majority of losses were fully reimbursed: Among Canadians who experienced payment fraud, 37 per cent report that no money was taken but their personal financial data was stolen, versus 60 per cent who experienced money loss. In most cases, the amount lost was less than $500. Of those who experienced money loss through payment fraud, 80 per cent reported it to their financial institution; 65 per cent of incidents were fully reimbursed by their bank, credit union or card provider and 21 per cent were partially reimbursed. Older Canadians were significantly more likely not to have lost money compared to middle-aged and young Canadians (60 per cent versus 34 per cent and 23 per cent, respectively). The majority of Canadians say that concerns over fraud impact their payment and shopping behaviours, but that they feel protected by their financial institution: More than half (53 per cent) of respondents said that fraud concerns impact their payment behaviour, although 58 per cent feel protected by their bank, credit union, or credit card provider. Concern around payment fraud influenced many Canadians' shopping habits, including 67 per cent who verify the safety of e-commerce sites and only shop with trusted sites and 51 per cent who stick to local and in-person dealings when making online peer-to-peer transactions on marketplace sites like Kijiji and Craigslist. One in four Canadians are at risk of missing bill payments due to concerns about scams: Almost a third of Canadians (32 per cent) struggle with distinguishing between legitimate payment-related communications and requests received by telephone or email and those that are potentially scams. One in four Canadians (25 per cent, up from 22 per cent in 2024) felt that they were at risk of missing their bill payments because they avoided responding to payment-related communication that they were concerned was a potential scam. Cash considered most secure payment method: Despite cash-related payment fraud being nearly three times higher than credit card related fraud experiences, cash is perceived to be the safest payment method by 72 per cent of Canadians, followed by Interac e-Transfer (60 per cent), credit card (55 per cent), Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) (55 per cent) and debit card (54 per cent). Canadians take a mix of measures to protect themselves against payment fraud: Many Canadians practice key fraud mitigation measures including; limiting how much personal information is shared (78 per cent); using passwords with more than 10 characters and a mix of upper and lowercase, numbers and symbols (70 per cent, up from 48 per cent in 2024); and enabling two-step authentication to access accounts whenever available (67 per cent). Despite the measures Canadians are taking, there is still room for improvement. Nineteen per cent tend to use the same password for all their accounts and six per cent have given out their personal and banking details via email or text message. Unauthorized transactions and impersonation fraud are among the most prevalent types of payment fraud, but levels are down from 2024: Outside of cash-related fraud, unauthorized transactions appearing on a bank or credit card statement and impersonation fraud were the most prevalent types of payment fraud experienced by Canadians, similar to 2024. However, the incidence level for each fraud type shifted in 2025 compared to 2024: Fraudulent transaction on bank or credit card statement: 33 per cent (38 per cent in 2024) Impersonator fraud via email, text, phone or social media: 24 per cent (34 per cent in 2024) Unauthorised purchase made through stolen credit card information: 20 per cent (18 per cent in 2024) Online purchase made via a fraudulent website: 17 per cent (14 per cent in 2024) Deceived into sending payment under false pretences: 11 per cent (11 per cent in 2024) Fraudulent purchase made using stolen debit card information: 10 per cent (7 per cent in 2024) Fraudster stole bank account information to take money: 8 per cent (6 per cent in 2024) "Payment fraud is a global challenge with constantly evolving fraudster tactics and Canada is no exception," said Donna Kinoshita, Chief Payments Officer at Payments Canada. "Supporting industry collaboration is a key area of focus for Payments Canada, including through our role with the Canadian anti-scam alliance, working alongside over fifty organisations from financial, telecom, digital platform, law enforcement and government sectors to lend our payment infrastructure and security expertise. We are also excited to be the first country to implement a centralized fraud system for Canada's forthcoming Real-Time Rail payment system from day one of launch, for which the technical build is on track to be completed in the coming weeks." About the study: 1,500 Canadians were interviewed online between February 24 and March 7, 2025, using Leger's online panel. The margin of error was +/- 2.5 per cent, 19 times out of 20. About Payments Canada: Payments Canada makes payments easier, smarter and safer for people living in Canada by providing secure and resilient national infrastructure where payments are cleared and settled between financial institutions. We are a public purpose organization that owns and operates Canada's payment systems, Lynx, the Automated Clearing Settlement System (ACSS) and the forthcoming Real-Time Rail (RTR), and are responsible for the by-laws, rules and standards that support these systems. In 2024, our systems cleared and settled $107 trillion — more than $424 billion every business day. Some of the transactions that pass through our systems include debit card payments, pre-authorized debits, direct deposits, bill payments, wire payments and cheques. Payments are an essential part of our economy and way of life. From a down payment on a home, an invoice paid to a local business or a first paycheque — payments keep Canadians and the economy moving forward.
