FINTRAC publishes money laundering indicators relating to human trafficking and major international sporting and entertainment events

News release

May 28, 2026 — Ottawa

FINTRAC published today a Special Bulletin on human trafficking risks associated with major international sporting and entertainment events to help businesses subject to the Proceeds of Crime (Money Laundering) and Terrorist Financing Act (the Act) detect transactions related to human trafficking activities and report suspicious transactions to the Centre.

Major international sporting and entertainment events can attract hundreds of thousands of visitors from home and abroad.  This can boost economic activity in sectors such as hospitality, entertainment, transportation and tourism, which are vulnerable to human trafficking. These events generate short‑term surges in economic activity and demand for services, labour and transactions, and may intensify conditions under which exploitation activities are present.

As human traffickers exploit their victims for financial gain, FINTRAC continues to work closely with its private sector and law enforcement partners. Together, they use financial intelligence to identify potential human traffickers and broader networks linked to this terrible crime.

In 2024–25, FINTRAC generated 316 disclosures of actionable financial intelligence to Canada’s municipal, provincial and federal law enforcement agencies in support of their human trafficking investigations. These disclosures identified 538 subjects of interest and supported 26 project-level investigations.

Quote

“Human trafficking is a devastating crime that often thrives in moments of heightened activity, including major international sporting and entertainment events. Combatting it requires strong, coordinated action between public authorities and the private sector, whose insights are critical in identifying suspicious financial patterns. Through collaboration, we can better detect, deter and disrupt these networks while protecting those most vulnerable. We have a shared responsibility to deny traffickers the ability to profit from exploitation and to safeguard our communities.”

Quick facts

• As Canada’s financial intelligence unit and anti-money laundering and anti-terrorist financing supervisor, FINTRAC ensures the compliance of businesses subject to the Proceeds of Crime (Money Laundering) and Terrorist Financing Act and generates actionable financial intelligence for Canada’s law enforcement and national security agencies.
• The Centre generates timely and actionable financial intelligence for law enforcement to support their efforts in identifying criminal networks and advancing investigations relating to human trafficking.
• In 2016, Project Protect was launched as an innovative public-private partnership aimed at targeting the money laundering associated with human trafficking for sexual exploitation. This initiative was updated in 2023–24 to include human trafficking activities relating to forced labour.
• In 2024–25, FINTRAC generated 6,236 financial intelligence disclosure packages, based on 2,730 unique disclosures, in support of investigations of money laundering, terrorist financing, sanctions evasion and threats to the security of Canada.
• In the past year, the Centre's financial intelligence contributed to more than 200 major, resource intensive investigations as well as many hundreds of other individual investigations at the municipal, provincial and federal levels across the country, as well as internationally.
• Project Protect is supported by the Government of Canada’s National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking. The National Strategy is a whole-of-government plan to address human trafficking. It guides Canada’s work to empower victims and survivors, prevent human trafficking, protect those at highest risk, prosecute human traffickers and strengthen partnerships.

Related product

• Special Bulletin on human trafficking risks associated with major international sporting and entertainment events

Associated links

• FINTRAC Annual Report 2024–25
• Operational Alert – Indicators: The laundering of illicit proceeds from human trafficking for sexual exploitation
• Operational Alert – Updated Indicators: Laundering of proceeds from human trafficking for sexual exploitation
• Reporting suspicious transactions to FINTRAC
• Public Safety Canada: Actions to Combat Human Trafficking

Contacts

Media Relations
Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada
613-716-9983
media.medias@fintrac-canafe.gc.ca

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