A local police department undertook a groundbreaking initiative to dismantle criminal networks operating through a notorious classified ads website. This website had become a hotspot for advertisements involving illegal drugs, firearms, and other illicit activities. By employing advanced pattern recognition software and graph analytics available through the DataWalk platform, the department aimed to uncover hidden networks and analyze over a million advertisements effectively.
The department faced significant challenges in their investigation:
Using the DataWalk platform, the department enhanced its investigative capabilities through a structured, scalable approach:
Data Scraping and Integration:
Over 4 million advertisements were scraped, creating a dataset ready for graph analytics. The data scraping pipeline separated data collection from on-premises analysis, ensuring smooth ingestion into the knowledge graph.
Advanced Pattern Recognition Algorithms:
The platform employed DataWalk’s sophisticated pattern recognition software to identify key terms such as "crystal," "3mmc," "methamphetamine," and "fentanyl." This was further enhanced with emoticon analysis, interpreting coded communications such as the pill or syringe frequently used in criminal slang.
Clustering Algorithms:
Using the weakly connected components algorithm, DataWalk clustered related ads and phone numbers, uncovering 73 distinct criminal networks connected to 14,000 phone numbers and 110,000 advertisements.
Duplication Management with Jaccard Index:
A clustering algorithm leveraging the Jaccard Index reduced redundancies, streamlining the dataset into actionable threads for analysts.
Cross-Source Data Enrichment:
By integrating external data sources such as WHOIS records and the Wayback Machine, investigators linked suspicious advertisements to legitimate businesses like massage parlors and car dealerships, revealing deeper connections.
The investigation achieved significant outcomes:
This case study underscores how the DataWalk platform’s pattern recognition solutions, clustering algorithms, and graph analytics empowered law enforcement to dismantle complex criminal networks effectively. By combining OSINT analysis, holistic investigations, and scalable tools, the agency achieved precision and efficiency in tackling large-scale investigations, providing a blueprint for future operations with drugs investigation software and beyond.