-Background
Misappropriation of cultural heritage represents both an economic issue and a cultural wound that cannot be repaired. The illicit trafficking of cultural property is a transnational crime that impacts the so-called countries of “origin” (rich in cultural heritage), “transit”, and “destination” (principal marketplaces). It is flourishing due to various factors, including the high demand in the art market, the relative ease of crossing certain borders, advancements in transportation systems and technology, and political instability in some countries.
Over the past decades, there has been an alarming increase in the illicit trade of cultural objects, especially from countries affected by armed conflict or social turmoil. Looted antiquities have become profitable assets, rivalling – to some degree – drugs, arms, and counterfeit goods. Against theft and trafficking of works of art, the international community has adopted various agreements and resolutions, while Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs) have joined forces in the framework of Europol’s and Interpol’s operations also cooperating with international organisations like UNESCO, ICOM, UNODC, and WCO.
LEAs have also been equipping themselves with advanced technological tools to enhance their effectiveness in combating this phenomenon as well as to facilitate the prosecution of cases involving theft and illicit appropriation of cultural property. Nonetheless, inadequate awareness among governments and the public often creates fertile ground for criminals, that perceive such an illicit trade as a high-profit, low-risk activity.
-Action
Against this background, the RITHMS Project aims to enhance the operational capabilities of LEAs in tackling the organised, multi-criminal, and transnational nature of illicit trafficking in cultural goods. This will be achieved through research, technological innovation, and targeted outreach and training initiatives. RITHMS Consortium acknowledges the need for a multifaceted, interdisciplinary, and collaborative approach, considering the manifold essence of this crime and its interconnections with other criminal sectors. RITHMS aims to strengthen the global response to the illicit trade of cultural goods and its associated criminal activities.
The Project strives to develop a replicable strategy that effectively addresses the challenges caused by the illicit trade of stolen and looted cultural objects. These primarily revolve around the fragmentation of intelligence information and the need to investigate the mechanisms underlying the phenomenon, including its links to different kinds of organised crime. RITHMS aims to build and validate a prototype intelligence digital resource specifically designed for investigating illicit trafficking. The innovative RITHMS digital platform will stand out for interoperability and multifunctionality, enabling the identification, evaluation, and analysis of relationships between criminal and non-criminal actors. By outlining the networks engaged in the illicit trade of cultural property and their potential evolution, the Platform will enhance the accessibility and accuracy of information available to LEAs. This advanced tool will empower authorities in their efforts to combat illegal trade and better understand the dynamics guiding such criminal groups.
At its core, the RITHMS Platform will be based on Social Network Analysis (SNA). SNA methodology allows for the mapping and analysis of social connections between individuals and groups of individuals by leveraging graph theory. SNA is a valuable tool in criminal investigation, particularly in the fight against organised crime. SNA enables the identification and understanding of social networks and the connections among members of criminal organisations, shedding light on the dynamics and operations of these groups. It allows for identifying potential lines of inquiry and uncovering key actors or network vulnerabilities.
RITHMS SNA-based Platform will incorporate a comprehensive set of data collection modules to enhance the width and depth of information available to the end users. Automation will play a key role in gathering and correlating data from various sources. That will encompass existing open-source datasets, mobile traffic data, satellite imagery analysis reports (connected to the Copernicus program), and a Knowledge Graph database powered by customised scraper software designed to target and collect data about entities involved in dealing with cultural objects. By connecting and integrating these diverse data sources, the RITHMS Platform will provide a more comprehensive understanding of cultural goods trafficking networks and dependable intelligence for the investigative work of law enforcement agencies.
-Objectives
1. Achieving an overall understanding of the criminal phenomenon of cultural heritage trafficking by bringing together all the domains that are relevant to expand the current knowledge on cultural property crime.
2. Providing LEAs with technological tools to boost the capability of tackling the illicit trade in cultural goods by supporting their ability to track and prevent the emergence of organised crime networks.
3. Operationalising the collected knowledge and the developed technologies by triggering the necessary steps to ensure the implementation, longevity, and exploitation of the RITHMS SNA-based Platform after the end of the Project.
4. Decompartmentalising information on the illicit trafficking of cultural property by promoting collaboration between all the different actors involved in countering this form of crime.
