Joining the Dots with Thomas Drohan

In this episode of Joining the Dots, Molly Ellis, founder of Project Accountability, joins Thomas Drohan to explore the complex relationship between trauma, offending and rehabilitation, drawing on her own journey through violence, the criminal justice system and prison.

Molly reflects on the events that shaped her early life, how trauma and exploitation contributed to the choices that ultimately led to a five-year prison sentence, and why prison unexpectedly became the first place she felt safe enough to begin rebuilding her life.

She explains how therapy, employment and the support of people who believed in her helped turn that process into a genuine rehabilitation journey, and eventually inspired her to establish Project Accountability. Today, its work combines intervention, through-the-gate support, employment and housing, with lived experience at the heart of its approach.

The conversation also examines why release from prison can be such a vulnerable moment, from finding somewhere to live and securing work to rebuilding basic routines, confidence and purpose. Molly argues that successful rehabilitation requires understanding the circumstances behind offending, rather than simply extending punishment beyond a prison sentence.

Finally, Molly discusses Project Accountability’s work with young women affected by county lines and coercive control, and why the distinction between victim and offender is often far more complicated than it first appears.

In this episode of Joining the Dots, Carl Miller, author, journalist and researcher, joins Thomas Drohan to explore how technology is transforming crime, influence and the information we trust.

Carl Miller reflects on the extraordinary investigation behind Kill List, his podcast series which exposed live assassination orders on the dark web and revealed the difficulties law enforcement faces when online crime moves across jurisdictions.

The conversation turns to the changing nature of information warfare and the growing effort to influence the answers produced by artificial intelligence. Carl Miller explains how hostile actors can create networks of apparently credible sources designed to shape what large language models see, learn and ultimately tell their users.

They also discuss how organisations can identify meaningful signals amid overwhelming volumes of information, retain knowledge across investigations and learn faster than their adversaries.

Looking towards the future, Carl Miller considers whether declining trust in digital information could lead people back towards trusted relationships and more analogue forms of interaction, and why adaptability, tenacity and human judgement will become increasingly valuable.

Thomas is joined by Tom Sefton-Collins, Founder of GhostShift and former GCHQ Head of Operations for offensive cyber and influence, to explore how the online information environment has become a frontline for modern threats.

Drawing on 15 years in government across counter terrorism, organised crime, and state-level cyber operations, Tom shares how online influence has evolved from a niche capability to a complex, large-scale ecosystem.

The conversation unpacks this rapidly expanding threat landscape, from industrialised state-backed campaigns to individuals using AI and social platforms to generate content at scale. Together, these forces are reshaping how information spreads, how narratives take hold, and how harm can be amplified.

Tom and Thomas also examine what this means for trust. As more people rely on social platforms for information, belief is increasingly shaped by what resonates rather than what is verified, creating a fragmented and difficult-to-monitor environment.

The episode then explores the convergence of threats, where influence operations intersect with cyber attacks and organised crime, enabling access, amplifying disruption, and increasing real-world impact.

Finally, Tom shares how GhostShift is applying this expertise in the commercial world, combining cyber, behavioural, and covert capabilities to detect, influence, and deter harmful activity at scale.

In this episode of Joining the Dots, Thomas Drohan is joined by Rachael Herbert, Director of the National Economic Crime Centre (NECC), to explore how economic crime is playing out closer to home than many people realise.

Rachael explains how money laundering, illicit finance and organised crime are increasingly embedded in everyday places – including the UK high street – and why tackling these threats requires a genuinely system-wide response. Using Operation Machinize as a case study, she unpacks how law enforcement, regulators, government and the private sector are working together to disrupt criminal networks, uncover hidden harms such as modern slavery, and generate intelligence at scale.

The conversation also looks beyond enforcement alone. Rachael reflects on the role of policy and legislation, the importance of trusted public–private partnerships, and how intelligence-led approaches can help organisations and authorities get further upstream of risk. Looking ahead, she shares her perspective on emerging threats – from crypto and synthetic identities to AI – and why local, community-level crime still matters in a rapidly evolving threat landscape.

This is a practical, grounded discussion for anyone working in economic crime, financial crime, regulation, security, or risk – and for anyone interested in how national strategies intersect with local realities.

In this episode of Joining the Dots, Thomas is joined by Jamie Bartlett, journalist, author and creator of the BBC podcast The Missing Cryptoqueen, for a wide-ranging conversation on emerging technology, influence and how society responds when innovation outpaces institutions.

Jamie reflects on his career tracking the social impact of new technologies, from the dark web and cryptocurrencies to social media, online radicalisation and now artificial intelligence. He explains why it is rarely the technology itself that causes disruption, but what happens when large numbers of people begin using it in ways its creators never expected.

The conversation explores Jamie’s latest work on how to talk to AI, including why large language models are best understood as tools shaped by language, tone and framing. He shares practical reflections on prompting, bias and why AI can reinforce our assumptions unless we actively challenge it to act as a devil’s advocate.

Jamie also discusses the growing influence risks created by AI, from synthetic media and emotionally persuasive scams to large-scale disinformation. Drawing on years of research into propaganda and online movements, he explains why cherry-picked truths can be more powerful than outright lies, and why public trust is becoming harder to maintain.

The episode closes with a candid update on The Missing Cryptoqueen. Jamie shares where the investigation stands today, what the FBI’s ongoing interest does and does not mean, and his current assessment of what likely happened to Ruja Ignatova. He also explains why there will be no further episodes unless there is a definitive breakthrough.

In this episode of Joining the Dots, Thomas is joined by Tony Sales, Co‑Founder of We Fight FinCrime and a former prolific fraudster, for a candid conversation about the realities of economic crime - from both sides of the line.

Tony shares his journey from a childhood shaped by organised crime and years spent committing fraud, to prison, rehabilitation, and ultimately using his lived experience to help organisations understand how criminals really operate. Drawing on first‑hand insight, he explains why technology alone will never stop fraud - and why human behaviour remains the biggest vulnerability criminals exploit.

The discussion explores how fraud and organised crime have evolved from physical theft to cyber‑enabled scams, the rise of social engineering, and why “getting the basics right” still beats chasing the latest security technology. Tony also examines youth vulnerability, money muling, and the way online environments can quietly pull young people into criminal activity.

Looking ahead, Tony shares his views on emerging threats — including data exploitation, deepfakes, and AI‑enabled scams — and why stolen data never truly loses its value.

This is a raw, thought‑provoking episode on modern fraud, human risk, and what it really takes to prevent economic crime.

In this episode of Joining the Dots, Thomas is joined by Matt Horne, Director of Intelligence and Investigations at Clue and former National Crime Agency Gold Commander, to unpack one of the most significant law enforcement operations in UK history: Operation Venetic.

Matt provides a rare insider account of how UK and international law enforcement disrupted EncroChat - a supposedly impregnable encrypted communications network used by serious organised crime groups. He explains how investigators went from “going dark” to facing an overwhelming flood of anonymised data, and the challenge of turning that information into actionable intelligence while protecting life, preserving covert access, and building cases capable of standing up in court.

The conversation moves beyond the headlines of the Channel 4 documentary Operation Dark Phone: Murder by Text, exploring what EncroChat revealed about the global, businesslike nature of organised crime, the accelerating role of technology, and how digital platforms can rapidly elevate criminal capability.

Matt and Thomas also discuss the wider lessons for intelligence and investigations today – from data overload and evidential integrity, to the responsible use of technology and AI in identifying risk, prioritising threats, and preventing harm.

Thomas is joined by Will Lyne, former Deputy Director of the National Crime Agency’s Cyber Intelligence team, and Matt Horne, Director of Intelligence and Investigations at Clue and Chair of TechUK’s National Security Committee, for a fireside chat on today’s rapidly evolving threat landscape. 

They explore how cybercrime has transformed into a global criminal ecosystem – lowering barriers to entry, enabling ransomware at scale, and blurring the lines between state-backed activity and organised crime. Will and Matt unpack why this “grey zone” of threats demands new strategies, from smarter disruption operations to cross-sector collaboration and data-driven attribution. 

The conversation also looks ahead to the challenges and opportunities of emerging technologies like AI and quantum computing, the double-edged role of digital ecosystems, and the importance of resilience and whole-of-society responses to national security risks. 

It’s a candid discussion on the realities of cybercrime today – and what it will take to disrupt harm in an interconnected world. 

In this powerful episode, Thomas sits down with Anna Rowe – survivor, activist, and founder of Catch the Catfish – to uncover the disturbing reality of romance fraud. Anna shares her deeply personal journey, from being manipulated by a serial fraudster living a double life to becoming one of the UK’s leading voices on deception in online dating.

Together, they explore how emotional manipulation, psychological grooming, and emerging technologies are reshaping the landscape of fraud. Anna reflects on the long-term trauma faced by victims – and the gaps in law enforcement, tech accountability, and public understanding that allow these crimes to thrive.

They also discuss how AI is turbocharging deception, how tech platforms are failing to act on fake profiles, and what policy and prevention strategies are urgently needed to protect the vulnerable. With insights from both victim and advocate perspectives, this is a rare and candid conversation about trust, control, and the human cost of digital deceit.

It’s a sobering look at how love can be weaponised – and how survivors are leading the fight back.

Join Thomas for a remarkable conversation with Will Lyne, former Deputy Director and Head of Cyber Intelligence at the UK’s National Crime Agency, as they unpack Operation Destabilise – a landmark investigation into one of the world’s most prolific money laundering networks.

What began with tracking ransomware payments on the blockchain led Will’s team to a sprawling illicit finance ecosystem connecting UK drug gangs, Russian cybercriminals, South American cartels, and even hostile state actors – all funnelling billions through crypto exchanges under a veil of legitimacy. At its core was “Smart,” a Moscow-based exchange that facilitated global cash-for-crypto swaps, enabling sanctioned elites and criminal networks to bypass traditional financial systems.

Together, they explore how the NCA coordinated dozens of complex operations across the UK and internationally, ultimately disrupting a network operating in every major Western jurisdiction. Will also reflects on why criminal justice alone isn’t enough in today’s threat landscape – and how disruption, intelligence sharing, and collaboration across borders and sectors are becoming vital to staying ahead.

Tune in for a fascinating inside look at the new face of organised crime, where digital innovation meets global scale – and how law enforcement is adapting to confront it.