The weak spots that let journalists expose the finances of looters, organized criminals and oligarchs

The trillions that the global looter class has stashed in offshore financial secrecy jurisdictions are protected by the joint tactics of absurd complexity and stultifying dullness, which have been created by a separate group of global looter-enablers, working for big accounting and audit firms, banks, law firms, even private schools.

Writing for the Global Investigative Journalism Network to summarize a recent panel at the 11th Global Investigative Journalism Conference, Megan Clement distills the role that each species of enabler plays in hiding ill-gotten millions, and the techniques that can be used to pierce the veil of secrecy and reveal the stolen treasure.

Here are five suggestions from the panel on where to find important information on legitimate businesses that mask criminal activity:

1. Retired Officials: Johnston says former regulators of the industry youre investigating are the most helpful people you could ever develop as a source in trying to trace money and criminal enterprises. They can show you where to look for wrongdoing by pointing out specific laws and bylaws that might have been contravened, he said.

2. Land Registries: If youre looking for assets, check the Land Registry for England and Wales, Garside said. The website publishes a searchable Excel file that lists all the property owned by shell companies outside the UK. If youre looking for hidden multi-million-pound houses, that thats where you find them, she said.

3. Conferences: Patrucic spoke of a journalist she knows who now spends his time on the circuit of accounting conferences. He wants to make sure that everyone in that sector has his business card, in case they hear of any wrongdoing or want to hand over important documentation.